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Secondary sourcePhotograph21 October 2017

Theodosian Walls of Constantinople, Istanbul

Carole Raddato · 21 October 2017

A 2017 photograph of the surviving Theodosian Walls, the fortifications Constantine XI defended during the final siege of Constantinople.

Shows the Theodosian Walls that Constantine XI defended during the siege that ended his reign and life.

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Ruined stone and brick city walls under a clear blue sky. A large section of masonry with alternating red brick courses rises at center, with a square tower to its left and a lower wall on the far left. Grass covers the ground, and a thin spire is visible on top of the wall in the distance.
Carole Raddato, Theodosian Walls of Constantinople, Istanbul, 2017.

About this source

What it is

This photograph, taken in 2017 by Carole Raddato, shows a surviving section of the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople in modern Istanbul, with alternating brick courses, a square tower, and lower sections of wall under a clear sky.

Why it matters

These walls had protected Constantinople for over a thousand years before the city fell in 1453. Constantine XI organized the city's defense along these very fortifications during the final Ottoman siege. The photograph is a recent image, not a historical document, but it shows the physical remains of what the emperor was defending.

Look closer

  • What do the layers of brick and stone tell you about how and when the walls were built or repaired?
  • Why were walls like these so important for a city's survival for centuries?
  • What is missing from a modern photograph that a historian would want to know about 1453?

This photograph is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Constantine XI Palaiologos on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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