- The Anastasian Wall, also known as the Long Walls of Thrace, was a north-south 35 mile (56km) stone and turf wall that ran from Evcik Iskelese in Catalca on the Black Sea to a few miles west of Silivri on the Sea of Marmara.
- It was built between 507-512 CE by the Eastern Roman Emperor Anastasius I (491-518 CE). It is located 40 miles (64km) to the west of Istanbul in Turkey.
History
- The Wall was fortified with Towers, Gates, a Ditch and a Military Way, and designed to prevent the Huns, Slavs and Bulgars from reaching Constantinople.
- It had a width of 11 feet 93.3m) and a height of over 16 feet (5m).
- Although the Wall is named after Anastasius I, who undertook a major renovation between 507-512 CE, it already existed during the reigns of Leo I (457-474 CE) and Zeno (Emperor) (474-491 CE).
- It was in use until the 7th century CE, but was frequently overrun.
The Roman Wall today
- Very little remains of the wall, as half of the stone has been reused elsewhere.
- However, the remote woodlands along the northern part hold a 12 mile (20km) preserved section of the wall (location unknown).
- The ancient line of the Wall is part of a plan for a modern canal to connect the Black Sea with the sea of Marmara.
Southern end of the Anastasian Wall, near Silivri, Turkey.