Several respected scholars have examined the question of whether the Kontoscalion can be identified with other known harbours of Constantinople. Unger, in his study of Byzantine art history, concludes that the Kontoscalion cannot be the same as either the Harbour of Sophia or the harbour at the Heptascalon. Although he does not discuss the problem in great detail, his conclusion is clearly based on a careful reading of the historical texts.
A similar view is held by Scarlatus Byzantios. In his detailed work on Constantinople, he argues that the names Kontoscalion, Harbour of Sophia, and Heptascalon refer to three different harbours. According to him, each name represents a distinct port, serving a different part of the city. These scholarly opinions support the idea that the Neorion at the Heptascalon was neither the Kontoscalion nor the Harbour of Sophia, but an independent harbour with its own location and history.
The Fire of 1819 and an Important Discovery
Strong physical evidence for this conclusion emerged in the year 1819. During that year, a large fire broke out in the Turkish quarter near Yeni Kapou, close to the Tulbendji Djamissi. The fire destroyed many buildings and exposed parts of the ground that had long been hidden. As a result, a portion of an ancient circular wall was revealed Sofia Tour Guides.
This discovery attracted great interest at the time. Because of its importance, the Turkish government instructed Patriarch Constantius, a highly respected authority on the history of Constantinople, to examine the remains and report his findings.
Patriarch Constantius Examines the Ruins
Patriarch Constantius visited the site accompanied by two prominent members of the Greek community. Upon inspection, he observed a massive wall built of very large stone blocks. Each block measured approximately seven feet in length, four and a half feet in width, and more than one foot in thickness. The stones were carefully cut and arranged in three horizontal layers.
The materials used in the construction were also significant. The two lower layers consisted of the limestone commonly found along the shores of the Bosporus. The uppermost layer, however, was made of marble brought from the Island of Marmora, a material often used in important public structures. This careful selection of materials suggested that the wall belonged to a major and well-planned construction.
Evidence of a Filled-In Harbour
Inside the area enclosed by the wall, the ground formed a large hollow space. Patriarch Constantius concluded that this hollow had once been a basin, later filled in after the Turkish Conquest to create solid land for new buildings. This observation strongly indicated that the area had once served as a harbour The Stone Mole Along the Shore.
Based on all these features—the shape of the wall, the massive stone construction, and the sunken interior—the patriarch became convinced that he was standing on the site of one of the ancient harbours of Constantinople.
The Disappearance of the Wall and Later Traces
The wall itself no longer exists today. This is not surprising, as the high-quality stone and marble made it an attractive source of building material. Over time, the blocks were likely removed and reused in later constructions.
However, the remains observed by Patriarch Constantius were not the only signs of a harbour in this location. Additional traces have since been recognized in the same area. Although these remains are fragmentary, they still support the conclusion that a harbour once existed here, complementing the discoveries made in 1819.
Both scholarly research and physical evidence point to the same conclusion. The Kontoscalion, the Harbour of Sophia, and the Neorion at the Heptascalon were distinct harbours. The archaeological remains uncovered near Yeni Kapou provide strong support for the existence of an additional harbour in this area. Together, the written sources and the material evidence confirm that the Neorion at the Heptascalon occupied its own separate site along the shores of Constantinople.
