The Medieval Fortress of Galata and Its Harbour

Abstract

The medieval fortress of Galata was located on the high cliff coast of Cape Galata. Its harbour was located to the west of the cape in a small, but very well-protected bay against winds and sea waves. This article presents information known to date from written sources and scientific literature, as well as the results of remote non-destructive surveys in the area of the cape and the medieval harbour basin. During the analysis of the data from the field surveys, an L-shaped facility was registered that was part of the ancient port’s infrastructure, and fragmented medieval pottery was found. All these data allow accurate localization of the port of the Galata fortress. The results of the field studies suggest a high potential for future detailed studies, both on land and underwater.