THE HALIC CHAIN


In the Byzantine Period, the entrance of the Golden Horn was closed against unwanted ships by connecting a chain between Kastellion Tower in the direction of Galata and Eugenios Tower in the direction of Sirkeci in order to ensure the port security of the Golden Horn and to prevent the invasion of the city by foreigners. During the conquest of Istanbul, due to the obstacle created by this chain, Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror drove the Ottoman warships over land into the Golden Horn. The Golden Horn chain has been preserved as a symbol of the Ottoman Empire's victory and urban identity after the conquest and has preserved its importance until today. The chain is made by combining links with different forms made of wrought iron. The piece in our museum is 10.72 m in length and 425 kg in weigh and consists of 23 links. Other parts of the same chain of different sizes are located in the Istanbul Naval Museum, the Harbiye Military Museum and the Rumeli Hisarlar Museum.





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