الأهمية الإستراتيجية لمدينة أبيدوس في العصر البيزنطي (من عام 330م حتى عام 1235م)‎

Abstract EN

This study discusses the strategic importance of the city of Abydos and its port from the beginning of the Byzantine era until year 1235 AD.

Due to its unique location, Abydos is the Great Gate of Constantinople.

This location made it one of the most important roads linking Constantinople on the one hand and Italy and the African coasts on the other.

For that, it played a major role in the maritime transport of goods and basic foodstuffs to Constantinople.

This role emerged strongly in the 8th – 10th century AD.

Because of this, the port of Abydos became one of the most important customs centers in the Byzantine state.

This explains the keen interest of the Byzantine emperors in it.

Many of them took the initiative to issue decrees regulating work in it and controlling and specifying the movement of goods imported into or exported from it.

For example, Emperor Anastasius I (491-518 AD) issued a decree to control customs tariffs on cargo ships heading to the Dardanelles Strait and the port of Abydos, and Emperor Justinian I (527-565 AD) established a customs administration at the port of Abydos regulating the movement of traffic.

The goods are supervised and duties are assessed on the ships loaded with them.

Politics also played an influential role on the port of Abydos when Empress Irene (797-802 AD) reduced some customs duties at the port in 801 AD.

The location of Abydos had a reason to be targeted not only by external enemies, but also by local enemies.

Abydos witnessed some internal revolutions and rebellions that affected the maritime traffic on the port.

This had a bad economic impact on the Byzantine state at that time.