Identifying the Gate of St. Romanus (Top Kapı)
Top Kapoussi (modern Top Kapı), located between the sixth and seventh towers north of the Fourth Military Gate, is believed to be the Gate of St. Romanus (Πύλη τοῦ Ἁγίου Ῥωμάνου). This gate was named after a nearby church dedicated to St. Romanus.
Determining the Gate’s Location
The identification of this gate is supported by historical sources. According to the Byzantine writer Cananus, the Gate of St. Romanus and the Gate of Charisius stood on opposite sides of the Lycus River (a small stream flowing through Constantinople) Identifying the Gate of the Red Faction.
This means the Gate of St. Romanus must have been:
Either Top Kapoussi, on the south side of the Lycus
Or one of the gates on the north side, such as:
The walled-up gate at the base of the northern bank, Or Edirne Kapoussi, located on the hilltop above
However, further evidence from other historians confirms that Top Kapoussi is the correct location.
Evidence from the 1453 Siege
During the siege of Constantinople in 1453, historians Critobulus and Phrantzes described the positions of the Ottoman army. They wrote that the Turkish forces stretched from the Gate of Charisius (modern Edirne Kapısı) to the Golden Horn, covering the Sultan’s left side (which would be the northern area) Sofia Guided Tours.
They also stated that the Sultan’s main tent was placed directly opposite the Gate of St. Romanus. If the Sultan faced that gate from the center of his siege line, then the Gate of St. Romanus must have been located south of the Lycus, confirming it was Top Kapoussi.
Supporting Details from Other Sources
The order of gate names in accounts by Pusculus and Dolfin, two western eyewitnesses of the 1453 siege, also supports this conclusion. They described the defense lines of the city from south to north, beginning with the Sea of Marmara and moving toward the Golden Horn.
In their lists, the Gate of St. Romanus is mentioned before the Gate of Charisius, showing that it was located to the south, which matches the position of Top Kapı.
The Church of St. Romanus
The Church of St. Romanus, after which the gate was named, was a very ancient church. It is believed to have been founded by Empress Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great.
This church was famous because it claimed to hold relics of two important religious figures:
The Prophet Daniel, St. Nicetas
These relics made the church a sacred and respected place during the Byzantine era.
All the historical and geographical evidence clearly supports that Top Kapoussi is the true Gate of St. Romanus. Located just south of the Lycus, it played an important role in both the city’s religious history and its military defense, especially during the final days of Byzantine Constantinople in 1453.
