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THE
WALLS OF CONSTANTINOPLE
THE WALLS OF
CONSTANTINOPLE
BY
CAPTAIN B. GRANVILLE BAKER
LONDON: JOHN MILNE
1910
PREFACE
ROMANCE and the history of walled cities are inseparable. Who has notfelt this to be so at the sight of hoary ruins lichen-clad andivy-mantled, that proudly rear their battered crests despite the ravagesof time and man’s destructive instincts. It is within walled cities thatthe life of civilized man began: the walls guarded him against barbarianfoes, behind their shelter he found the security necessary to hiscultural development, in their defence he showed his finest qualities.And such a city—and such a history is that of Ancient Byzantium, theCity of Constantine, the Castle of Cæsar.
What wonder then that man should endeavour to express by pen and pencilhis sense of the greatness and beauty, the Romance of a Walled City suchas Constantinople. The more so that a movement is on foot to removethese ancient landmarks of the history of Europe and Asia.
True there are other works on this same subject, works by men deeplylearned in the history of this fair city, works that bid fair tooutlive the city walls if the fell intent of destroying them is carriedinto execution, and from these men and their works I derived inspirationand information, and so wish to chronicle my gratitude to them—SirEdwin Pears and Professor van Millingen of Robert College,Constantinople. There are many others too in Constantinople to whom mythanks are due—His Majesty’s Vice-Consul, my host, his colleagues, nowmy friends, and many others too numerous to mention. They all havehelped me in this work, and I am grateful for the op