A Harbour Within the City Walls
There is nothing surprising about the existence of a harbour inside the city walls in the quarter of the Kynegon. In fact, such a harbour would have been quite natural. This part of Constantinople was closely linked to the Palace of the Porphyrogenitus (also known as the Tekfur Sarayı) and the Palace of Blachernae, both important imperial residences Location Purpose Gate Kynegos.
Because these palaces were located near the Golden Horn, it would have been essential to have a protected harbour nearby. Such a harbour would have provided safe anchorage for the imperial boats and galleys used by the Byzantine Court for official travel and transport. It would also have allowed foreign ambassadors, envoys, and imperial guests to arrive directly by water at the palace district.
The Possible Location of the Harbour
The small harbour located behind the three archways near Balat Kapoussi is sometimes thought to be the Neorion of Blachernae, the imperial dockyard in that area. However, this is unlikely, since the most probable site of the Neorion of Blachernae was at Aivan Serai Iskelesi, slightly farther west along the Golden Horn.
More probably, the basin behind the three arches was a smaller harbour used by the quarter of the Kynegon. It was likely the landing place where, during the time of the Palaiologan emperors, the emperor and court officials would embark or disembark when traveling to and from the palaces by boat Turkey Customized Sightseeing.
Historical References to the Harbour
There are several historical references that support the existence of this harbour. When the Spanish ambassadors visited the Byzantine court, their arrival is recorded as being “near the Gate of the Kynegos” (près de la porte de Quinigo). This shows that the Kynegon quarter was used as a ceremonial landing place for visiting dignitaries.
Similarly, during the 15th century, when Emperor John VIII Palaiologos was preparing to travel to Italy to attend the Councils of Ferrara and Florence, the galleys sent by the Council of Basel to transport him first anchored at Psamathia. After an initial delay, they were allowed to move and moored at the Kynegon (εἰς τὸν Κυνηγόν). From there, the emperor embarked for his journey to the West, accompanied by the Papal ships. When he returned from Italy, he disembarked at the same harbour.
The Harbour During the Siege of 1453
The harbour of the Kynegon also appears in accounts of the siege of Constantinople in 1453. During the defense of the city, a fire ship carrying about forty young men was launched from the Gate of the Kynegos. Its mission was to attack and set fire to the Turkish ships that had been dragged over the hills from the Bosphorus into the Golden Horn. This daring operation further confirms the presence of a functional port in this part of the city’s waterfront.
All these accounts—from diplomatic journeys, imperial processions, and wartime events—demonstrate that there must have been a harbour or docking area along the shore of the Kynegon quarter. It served both ceremonial and military purposes, linking the imperial palaces with the Golden Horn and providing access for ships of the Byzantine navy.
Therefore, the existence of a harbour behind the three archways near Balat Kapoussi perfectly fits the historical and geographical evidence. This small, sheltered harbour was an essential part of the imperial landscape of Blachernae, serving as a gateway between land and sea, palace and empire.