The Kerko Porta and Its Discrepancies
The history of the Kerko Porta is a bit confusing due to a key issue. According to the historian Ducas, the Kerko Porta led...
The Ballroom and Its Use
We asked the handsome young aide-de-camp, who had been assigned by His Imperial Majesty to show us around the palaces, how a ballroom was...
The Sultan’s Palaces
The Sultan of Turkey has many palaces, but most of them were built by his predecessors, not by him. He has not built any...
The Nine Gates of St. Sophia
St. Sophia, also known as Hagia Sophia, has nine gates that lead into the building. Over the central gate, through which the emperor entered,...
German Investments in Turkish Lands
There are only a few German businesses in European Turkey. This is because chaos and unrest have kept away investors and settlers. People did...
Germany’s Role in Supporting the Sultan
Germany’s Influence in the Ottoman Empire
Germany is more responsible than other nations for the suffering in the Ottoman Empire. Its government supports the Sultan,...
The Silence of Europe
Ignoring the Cry for Help
People often ask: How long will European powers let the Sultan ignore them and continue the suffering in Macedonia? But...
Cistern Construction in the Middle and Late Byzantine Periods
Cisterns as a Response to the Decline of Water Supply
During the middle and late Byzantine periods, Constantinople faced a gradual decline in its water...
The Use of Spolia in Byzantine Cisterns
Unfinished and Reused Capitals in Cisterns
In many Byzantine cisterns, archaeologists have discovered a wide range of unfinished column capitals, some damaged and some still...
Reconsidering the Use of Spolia in Byzantine Constantinople
What Is Spolia and Why Was It Used?
In Byzantine Constantinople, the use of spolia—that is, recycled architectural elements from older buildings—became very common. This...
