Thanks to Arca Atay I can bring you some great pictures of the defences of Nicaea (Iznik).

Page 54. " The fortifications of Nicaea in Asia Minor, though incorporating much work of later dates, are largely of about the middle of the fifth century. They have been ascribed, recently, to Justinian. But, apart from the fact that they resemble the land walls of Constantinople both in structure  and disposition, it is not without significance that Procopius, in dealing with the subject at length, does not mention the fortifications in his descriptions of Justinian's works at Nicaea 1 (Procopius, Of the Buildings of Justinian, Bk. V.) Nicaea is surrounded by a double line of walls, the inner wall of great thickness and height, and the outer lower and less substantial. Both walls are bilt of stone with brick lacing courses, and are strengthened by towers, placed at frequent intervals, the towers being so spaced that those in one wall stand opposite to an interval in the other. (See Map).

A large residential tower on the south side of the city, hight and more powerful tha the others, must have been a kind of donjon. It was against this tower, then occupied by the Sultan's wife, that the Crusaders concentrated their assault in the memborable siege of 1097; and it was not until attack after attack hac been made upon it that the tower was eventually brought down, and then only by means of undermining the walls 2 (William of Tyre.). There a four gateways and three posterns. The walls of Nicaea have withstood many attacks. They repelled the Crusaders again and again and are still in a good state of repair."

Istanbul		Yenisehir
Lefke	Gol (Lake)

Byzantium 1200 is a project aimed at creating computer reconstructions of the Byzantine Monuments located in Istanbul, TURKEY as of year 1200 AD.

Creation of the Walls

The Anastasian Long Walls

The City Walls

The Fight to Survive

The Land Walls

Castles on the Web

 Site O is a group of people from around the world that share an interest in fortifications and artillery. Some are authors on the subject, some are connected with Universities and teach it and others are simply fascinated with it.

A Dictionary of Military Architecture
An Aerial View of Masada
Anglo-Saxon Burhs
Bibliography of Military Architecture
David's Tower, Jerusalem
Drawings of Aspects of Military Architecture
Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives
More Pictures of the Theodosian Land Walls
Siege Warfare, The Art of Offence and Defence
Shiro, A Japanese Castle
The Walls of Ankara
The Defences of Constantinople
The Town Walls of Conwy
What is a Castle?

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Lawrence, A.W., A Skeletal History of Byzantine Fortification, Annual of the British School at Athens, 1983.

Tsangadas, B.C.P., The Fortifications and Defense of Constantinople, New York, 1980.

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