The Port Yard
The Port Yard is the fortified enclosure that defends Akkerman from the west along the shores of the estuary, forming a second outer ward of the fortress. This enclosure probably served as the protected harbor for the fortress and settlement, allowing waterborne access to Akkerman even when its occupants were under siege from the landward sides. Although its surviving architecture is limited, enough remains to provide some suggestions about the fortress’s development over time.
Tower 25
The discussion of this tower can be found above in the section on the Garrison Yard. [Figs 40, 41 and 42]
Port Yard Curtain Wall
Only minor remnants of this wall survive to the north of the ‘Barbican,’ connecting it to Tower 25. [Fig 79] It is unclear if there was a wall-walk along its top that allowed access between the ‘Barbican’ defenses and the Garrison Yard.
The fragment of wall to the south of the ‘Barbican’ has a large (now blocked) gate which gives access from the estuary beach to the Port Yard. [Fig 80] Atop its internal face one can see musket loops opening to the west from its narrow wall-walk. This gate apparently post-dates an earlier gateway that originally passed through the south wall of the ‘Barbican’ before turning right (east) to enter the Port Yard. [Fig 81]
‘Barbican’ and Tower 28
The ‘Barbican’ is a structure that projects west outward from the Port Yard curtain wall near its midpoint. In the past it apparently jutted into the estuary and culminated in a cylindrical Tower 28. Nothing now remains of this tower, but its prominence overlooking the harbor and beach may make it a candidate for a tower name. Based on Ottoman documentary evidence, we believe this tower was called the “Biscuit Tower” (Peksimad Kulesi).
The ‘Barbican’ protected the beach/shoreline to its south. Excavations have revealed that its south wall previously housed a gateway that would have channeled visitors from the beach into the Port Yard. [Figs 82, 83 and 84] Based on Ottoman documentary evidence, we believe this entrance was commonly called the “Small Water Gate” (Küçük Su Kapısı). This passage from the beach into the Port Yard, now blocked on its eastern end, was presumably superseded by the gateway through the Port Yard’s curtain wall just to the south of the ‘Barbican.’ [Fig 80]
The internal arrangements of the ‘Barbican’ seem to indicate a two-storey structure (see the timber supports surviving within the north wall). [Fig 85] The north wall has an arched embrasure that opens to the estuary and appears to have been a cannon embrasure. [Fig 86] Based on Ottoman documentary evidence, we believe this structure was called the “Water Gate/Shore Bastion” (Su Kapusı Tabyası; Yalı Tabyası). Tower 27
This tower, located at the southwestern tip of the Port Yard, has entirely disappeared, despite its vestigial appearance on the base plan. [Fig 1] Its location indicates that it controlled access into the western end of the Ditch. Some early maps and plans seem to suggest that it may have been connected to a cross wall that blocked the end of the Ditch (see below). Based on Ottoman documentary evidence, we believe this tower was called the “Princes Tower” (Emirler Kulesi). Furthermore, Ottoman documentary evidence suggests that the area of the Port Yard between Tower 27 and Tower 20 functioned as an internal bastion for cannons, apparently called the “Princes Tower Bastion” (Emirler Kulesi Tabyası). The ground level between these towers is quite high, providing the necessary elevation for it to have mounted cannons just like the internal bastions behind Towers 11 and 17.
Buttresses
Within the Port Yard two types of buttresses have been added to pre-existing walls and towers to lend further structural support. The first type is represented by the four triangular buttresses found along the outer Port Yard curtain wall just north of Tower 27. [Fig 87] Two more of these buttresses support the outer face of the Port Yard curtain wall near its (now blocked) gate to the beach. [Fig 88] And an additional two bracket the entry passage of Tower 22—the Water Gate into the Civil Yard. [Fig 75] The second type is represented by the four shouldered buttresses found within the Port Yard along the outer Garrison Yard’s western curtain between Towers 23 and 25. [Fig 89] According to Şlapac, all these buttresses were built by the Russians, since early photographs do not show them. The only other place in Akkerman where we find buttresses like these added onto a pre-existing wall is at the north end of the Ditch to help support Tower 30 which projects out from the line of half-wall defenses (see next page).
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