Rumeli Fortress

Fort Rumeli is located on a hill on the European side of the Bosphorus, north of the Bebek district, on the narrowest point of the Bosphorus. It was built by the Ottoman Muslim leader - Sultan Mehmed II between 1451 - 1452 before he conquered Constantinople. It took four months to complete this project thanks to the hard work of more than 3,000 workers and master masons. It was originally built to establish control over the Bosphorus, which ships had to approach to avoid strong currents. Up to 400 soldiers are said to have been stationed at the fortress, using water cannons to block the passage of ships during the siege of Constantinople.

The three towers of the fort are named after the three foremans of Mehmed II, who oversaw the construction. Sadrazam ÇandarlÄ ± Halil Pasha, builder of the great tower beside the gate, ZaÄ Zaanos Pasha, builder of the south tower, and SarÄ ± ca Pasha, builder of the north tower. Its pyramidal walls and round towers provide a panoramic view of the Bosporus Strait.

Rumeli Fort has one small tower, three main towers and thirteen smaller watchtowers. A watchtower is built in the shape of a cylinder - typical architecture of fortresses under the Ottoman era.

Halil Pasha Tower is a dodecagon prism and is located in the middle of the fort. The main tower, the ZaÄŸanos Pasha Tower has 8 floors and is also cylindrical in shape. The floors are fitted with wooden floors and each floor is equipped with a kiln. The main north tower, called SarÄ ± ca Pasha Tower, is cylindrical in shape and has 9 floors. Today it is known as the Tower of Faith.

Rumeli Fort has three main gates, each adjacent to the main towers; one side gate and the others are secret portals, used to get food and weapons. There is also a small mosque and housing for soldiers, however only some parts of the mosque have survived to this day. Water is drawn from a large cistern below the mosque and distributed through three fountains inside the fort.

Located on the shores of the Bosphorus, Rumeli Castle is the easiest way to get to Rumeli Castle by bus passing Rumeli Hisarı and going to Rumeli Hisarı bus stop. The castle is located right next to this bus station.

Located on the European shore of the Bosphorus, the castle is close to a number of monuments and neighborhoods including the Aşiyan Museum, Bebek and the Arnavutköy vicinity. Besides the castle - on the shores of the Bosphorus - there are also some nice restaurants serving the best traditional Turkish breakfast such as Kale Restaurant and Lokma Cafe.

Fare:

Adults: 25 liras/pax

Business hours:

Daily except Wednesday: 09:00 - 17:00

Address: Rumeli Hisarı, Yahya Kemal Cd., 34470 Sarıyer/İstanbul, Turkey

Phone: +90 212 263 53 05