Όπως άλλες σύγχρονες ελληνιστικές πόλεις, η Θεσσαλονίκη περιτειχίστηκε αμέσως μετά την ίδρυσή της από τον βασιλιά Κάσσανδρο το 315 π.Χ. με στόχο τη δημιουργία ενός νέου αστικού κέντρου με ιδιαίτερη γεωπολιτική σημασία που θα βρισκόταν σε επικοινωνία με τις περιοχές της βαλκανικής, μέσω οδικών και ποτάμιων αρτηριών αλλά και με τον γεωγραφικό χώρο του Αιγαίου και της Μεσογείου, μέσω θαλάσσης. Τα τείχη στους αιώνες που ακολούθησαν επισκευάστηκαν, συμπληρώθηκαν, επεκτάθηκαν, τμήματά τους καταστράφηκαν και ξαναχτίστηκαν με πρωτοβουλία διαφόρων ρωμαίων και βυζαντινών αυτοκρατόρων. Η επικοινωνία της πόλης με την ύπαιθρο γινόταν με τις πύλες που ήταν ανοιγμένες στις τέσσερις πλευρές των τειχών και το βράδυ κλείδωναν για λόγους ασφάλειας.
Από το σημείο αυτό, κατεβαίνοντας την οδό Μετεώρων και συνεχίζοντας δυτικά στη σημερινή οδό Κλαυδιανού και την οδό Αρκαδιουπόλεως περίπου εκεί που συναντά την οδό Αγ. Δημητρίου, βρισκόταν ως το 1874 που κατεδαφίστηκε η Ληταία πύλη, γνωστή και ως Γενί Καπού (Νέα Πύλη). Αποτελούσε μέρος των δυτικών τειχών της πόλης. Σύμφωνα με τον Καμενιάτη ήταν η αντίστοιχη της Νέας Χρυσής Πύλης στα ανατολικά. Οι πύλες του δυτικού τείχους ήταν διπλές με δυο παράλληλα ανοίγματα. Το ένα εξωτερικά βρισκόταν στην ευθεία του προτειχίσματος, το άλλο εσωτερικά στην ευθεία το κυρίως τείχους. Ανάμεσά τους υπήρχε είδος περίβολου που διαμορφωνόταν από τα τείχη.
Letaia Gate (Yeni Kapu)
Like other modern Hellenistic cities, Thessaloniki was walled up immediately after its foundation by King Cassander in 315 BC with the aim of creating a new urban centre of particular geopolitical importance that would be in communication with the Balkan regions through land and rivers routes, as well as with the geographical area of the Aegean and the Mediterranean, through the sea. In the centuries that followed, the walls were repaired, supplemented, extended, parts of them were destroyed and rebuilt under the initiative of various Roman and Byzantine emperors. The communication between the city and the countryside took place through the gates which were open on the four sides of the walls and locked at night for security reasons.
Walking down Meteoron Street and continuing west to today’s Klaydianou and Arkadioupoleos Street approximately where it meets with Agiou Dimitriou Street, the Letaia Gate was located. The Letaia Gate, also known as Yeni Kapou (New Gate), existed at this point until 1874 when it was demolished. It was part of the western walls. Kameniatis mentions that it was similar to the New Golden Gate in the east. The gates of the western wall were double with two parallel openings. One of them was in line the outside protection wall, the other one was in line with the inside main wall. Between the two gates, there was a kind of bailey formed by the walls.
Letaia Gate (Yeni Kapu)
There was a disagreement concerning the spelling and the meaning of the word Letaia. Many argued that the word Letaia referred to the fact of its location towards the Lagada Street, formerly Serron and consequently led to the above mentioned city and also to Leti (Aivati), an adjacent community. This view is not accurate, as some researchers recorded the name of the gate as Liti-Litaia, which some arbitrarily interpreted as a small gate and a few, mainly the Muslim element, as a place of prayer. The Ottoman traveler Evliya Çelebi calls it Yeni Kapu-New Gate but also Mevlevi Hane Kapu. In addition, he informs us that “it had an opening to the West and was a very fortified gate”. Michael Hatzi-Ioannou refers to it both as the Letaia Gate, and the New Gate as well, but he also records that most travellers refered to it as New Gate. To the north of it was the Tower of the Statue, which is not preserved today and perhaps took its name from a statue built into it. The Turkish name Namasier Koule, used by the French travellers F. de Beaujour and Cousinery (19th century) means Tower of Prayer.
[Indicative sources: G. Gounari (1976), The Walls of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki. (1988), G. Velenis, The Walls of Thessaloniki: From Kassandros to Heraklio, Thessaloniki: University Studio Press, N. Poulou (2012), ‘The Walls’ in Impressions: The Byzantine Thessaloniki in photographs and drawings of the British School of Athens (1888-1910), K. Nigdeli (2016), Municipality of Neapolis-Sykeon “The great Kallikratian Municipality“]
