A Chain Across Golden Horn Saved Constantinople

For all large capital cities in ancient and modern history, protection was one of the major survival strategies. And what historical capital was bigger than legendary Constantinople? Known as Istanbul today, Constantinople has one of the richest city histories in the world and has long been a cradle of Western civilization. As an imperial capital for almost sixteen centuries, Constantinople was the epicenter of many major events. But how do you go about protecting such a vital and large capital? A cunning enemy can find a variety of ways to invade and threaten a city – no matter how well fortified it is. For Constantinople though, the secret lay in its position. Situated on a strategic peninsula, it was always vulnerable from a naval attack . But there’s a solution to every problem and this article examines Constantinople’s great chain “barrier” across the Golden Horn waterway, which was instrumental in defending the city’s main naval access point. Constantinople’s great chain prevented attack and invasion for centuries until the city finally fell in 1453 AD.