Along the Land Walls - Strolling Through Istanbul: The Classic Guide to the City - page 364

can be fairly well inspected if we follow the street closest to the wall
and walk through the gardens of the intervening houses.
WALL OF MANUEL COMNENUS
The first part of this section of the walls was built by the Emperor
Manuel Comnenus (r. 1143-80). This wall begins just beyond
Tekfur Saray, where it starts westward almost at right angles to the
last fragment of the Theodosian wall, then turning north at the third
tower. The wall of Manuel is an admirably constructed fortification
consisting of high arches closed on the outer face and containing nine
towers and one public gate, now called Eğri Kapı. Most authorities
identify Eğri Kapı with the ancient Gate of the Kaligaria. It was here
that Constantine Dragases was last seen alive by his friend, George
Phrantzes, who would later write a history of the fall of Byzantium. On
the night of 28 May 1453 the Emperor, accompanied by Phrantzes,
had stopped briefly at the Palace of Blachernae after returning from
his last visit to Haghia Sophia.
According to Phrantzes, Constantine assembled the members
of his household and said goodbye to each of them in turn, asking
their forgiveness for any unkindness he might ever have shown them.
“Who could describe the tears and groans in the palace?” Phrantzes
wrote, “Even a man of wood or stone could not help weeping.” The
Emperor then left the Palace and rode with Phrantzes down to the
Gate of the Kaligaria. They dismounted there and Phrantzes waited
while Constantine ascended one of the towers nearby, whence he
could hear the sounds of the Turkish army preparing for the final
assault. After about an hour he returned and mounted his horse once
again. George Phrantzes then said goodbye to Constantine for the
last time and then watched as the Emperor rode of to his post on the
Murus Bacchatureus, where he met his death the following morning
in defence of his doomed city.
Eğri Kapı, the Crooked Gate, is so-called because the narrow
lane which enters the city there must detour around a türbe which
stands almost directly in front of the gate. This is the supposed tomb
of Hazret Hafız, a companion of the Prophet, who, according to
tradition, was killed on this spot during the first Arab assault on