eLibrary: Harbour of Theodosius

Hidden beneath the streets of modern Istanbul lay the forgotten Harbour of Theodosius, one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the twenty-first century. This exhibition follows the excavation of its thirty-seven Byzantine shipwrecks and explores what they reveal about trade, shipbuilding, and everyday life in the Byzantine world.

This is the latest version of an electronic library of resources supporting the exhibition. It offers free and immediate access to online resources for anyone wanting to explore further the context of the museum’s artifacts.  As the museum develops, more resources, in more languages, will be added.

NOTE: Some of these links come from Academia.edu and Researchgate.net. These require a free one-time registration. To research further yourselves, you may consider registering with Jstore.org which gives limited but free monthly access to its collections

Articles

Akkemik, Ü. and Kocabaş, U., 2014. Woods of Byzantine trade ships of Yenikapi (Istanbul) and changes in wood use from 6th to 11th century. Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry, 14(2), pp.317-327.

Akkemik, Ü., (e.a.)2019. Dating and dendroprovenancing of the timbers used in Yenikapı historical jetty (İstanbul, Turkey). Dendrochronologia, 57, p.125628.

Algan, O., (e.a.) 2009. A short note on the geo-archeological significance of the ancient Theodosius harbour (İstanbul, Turkey). Quaternary Research, 72(3), pp.457-461.

Algan, O.,(e.a.), 2011. Holocene coastal change in the ancient harbor of Yenikapı–İstanbul and its impact on cultural history. Quaternary Research, 76(1), pp.30-45.

Başaran, S. and Kocabaş, U., 2008, January. Theodosius Limanı’ndan Yenikapı Batıklarına. In Colloquium Anatolicum (No. 7, pp. 1-22). Türk Eskiçağ Bilimleri Enstitüsü.

Bonini Baraldi, S., Shoup, D.D. and Zan, L., 2019. When megaprojects meet archaeology: a research framework and case study from Yenikapi, Istanbul. International journal of cultural policy, 25(4), pp.423-444.

Bony, G., Marriner, N., Morhange, C., Kaniewski, D. and Perinçek, D., 2012. A high-energy deposit in the Byzantine harbour of Yenikapı, Istanbul (Turkey). Quaternary International, 266, pp.117-130.

Caner, H.Ü.L.Y.A., Kirci-Elmas, E., Ongan, D., Sari, E. and Algan, O., Paleoenvironmental Changes and the Cultural Sequence of the Ancient Theodosius Harbour (Yenikapi-Istanbul): Palynological Evidences.

Güler, T. and Kocabaş, I., 2023. Characteristic features and construction technique of shipwreck Yenikapı 20. Art-Sanat, (20), pp.311-328.

Güler, T.A.N.E.R., 2024. A Preliminary Study Comparing the Construction Features of Yenikapi Shipwrecks with the Northwest European Contemporaries: The Case Of Yk20. Current Approaches, Solutions and Practices in Conservation of Cultural Heritage, p.471.

Günsenin, N. and Rieth, É., 2012. Un graffito de bateau a voile latine sur une amphore (IXe s. ap. J.-C.) du Portus Theodosiacus (Yenikapı). Anatolia antiqua. Eski Anadolu, 20(1), pp.157-164.

Hetto, S., Kilic, N. and Kiliç, A.G., 2025. Evaluation of physical and chemical condition of a group of waterloggedarchaeological woods from the Yenikapı 16 shipwreck. Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences, 34(2), pp.263-274.

Ingram, R., 2018. The Hull of Yenikapı Shipwreck YK 11: a 7th‐century merchant vessel from Constantinople's Theodosian Harbour. International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, 47(1), pp.103-139.

Jones, M.R., 2013. The Recovery, Reconstruction, and Analysis of Yenikapi 14 (YK 14), a Middle Byzantine Merchant Ship from the Theodosian Harbor Excavations at Yenikapi, Istanbul (Doctoral dissertation).

Jones, M.R., 2017. The Hull Construction of Yenikapı 14 (YK 14), a Middle Byzantine Shipwreck from Constantinople's Theodosian Harbour, Istanbul, Turkey. International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, 46(2), pp.253-283.

Kılıç, N.A.M.I.K. and Kılıç, A.G., 2018. Analysis of Waterlogged Woods: Example of Yenikapi Shipwreck. Art-Sanat, (9), pp.1-11.

Kılıç, A.G., Kılıç, N. and Arnold, D.C., 2023. Analyses of sulfur and iron in waterlogged archaeological wood: The case of polyethylene-glycol-treated Yenikapı 12 shipwreck. Forests, 14(3), p.530.

Kılıç, N. and Kılıç, A.G., 2024. Evaluation of the polyethylene glycol impregnation and vacuum freeze-drying method for waterlogged archaeological wood: conservation of the Yenikapı 1 Shipwreck. Studies in Conservation, 69(5), pp.336-347.

KILIÇ, N., 2025. Determining the condition of waterlogged archaeological woods and iron nails from the Yenikapı 17 shipwreck using multiple analytical techniques. npj Heritage Science, 13(1), p.64.

Kocabas, U., 2012. The Latest Link in the Long Tradition of Maritime Archaeology in Turkey: The Yenikapı Shipwrecks. European Journal of Archaeology, 15(1), pp.1-15.

Kocabaş, U., 2015. The Yenikapı Byzantine‐Era Shipwrecks, Istanbul, Turkey: a preliminary report and inventory of the 27 wrecks studied by Istanbul University. International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, 44(1), pp.5-38.

Kocabaş, U. and Özsait-Kocabaş, I., 2023. Comparative analysis of lifting from on-site and conservation of the Yenikapı shipwrecks. Heritage, 6(2), pp.1871-1890.

Kydonakis, A.E., 2024. Ercan Kydonakis, Ayse, A Late Antique and Byzantine Harbour in Constantinople: The Theodosian Harbour at Yenikapı. History, Archaeology, and Architecture. Harbours of Byzantium, ed. A. Ginalis.

Onar, V., 2012. Byzantine horse skeletons of Theodosius harbour: 1. Paleopathology. Revue de Médecine Vétérinaire, 163(3), pp.139-146.

Onar, V., Çakırlar, C., Janeczek, M. and Kızıltan, Z., 2012. Skull typology of Byzantine dogs from the Theodosius Harbour at Yenikapı, Istanbul. Anatomia, histologia, embryologia, 41(5), pp.341-352.

Onar, V.,2013. Animal skeletal remains of the Theodosius harbor: general overview. Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, 37(1), pp.81-85.

Onar, V. and Kahvecioğlu, K.O., 2015. Osteological evidences of Byzantine draught cattle from Theodosius Harbour at Yenikapi, Istanbul. Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry, 15(2), pp.71-71.

Özsait‐Kocabaş, I., 2018. The Yenikapı 12 shipwreck, a 9th‐Century merchantman from the Theodosian Harbour in Istanbul, Turkey: construction and reconstruction. International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, 47(2), pp.357-390.

Özsait-Kocabaş, I., 2021. Reconstruction of the Byzantine shipwreck Yenikapı 12. Archaeonautica. L’archéologie maritime et navale de la préhistoire à l’époque contemporaine, (21), pp.283-288.

Pazvant, G. (e.a.), 2015. Osteometric examination of metapodial bones in sheep (Ovis aries L.) and goat (Capra hircus L.) unearthed from the Yenikapı Metro and Marmaray excavations in Istanbul. Kafkas Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesi Dergisi, 21(2).

Pulak, C., Ingram, R. and Jones, M., 2015. Eight Byzantine shipwrecks from the Theodosian harbour excavations at Yenikapı in Istanbul, Turkey: an introduction. International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, 44(1), pp.39-73.

Videos

The Byzantine Shipwrecks at Yenikapi 25.03mins