"Rumelihisari" Rumeli Hisari Tip by H-TownJourneyman

The construction of the fortress of Rumelihisari in 1452, on the European side of the Bosphorus and at the strait's narrowest point, would become a sort of prequel for the siege of Constantinople the following year. Sultan Mehmet II, seeking a strategy to overtake the well-fortified capital of the Byzantines, wanted to cut off access to Constantinople and prevent supplies and reinforcments from reaching the city. If he had control of the Bosphorus, he knew he would be able to accomplish this. In just 4 short months, under Mehmet's supervision, the Turks completed the building of Rumelihisari, or "Fortress on the land of the Romans". With Anadoluhisari, another fortress that had been built by Sultan Bayezid I in 1394, located directly across the strait on the Anatolian side, the Turks had a sort of gate across the Bosphorus, even initially calling Rumelihisari "Bogazkesen", or "throat-cutter". After choking the Byzantines for nearly 9 months, Mehmet attacked Constantinople. A nearly month long battle ensued, and the city finally fell on May 29, 1453.

After the capture of Constantinople, Rumelihisari was used as a checkstation for passage through the Bosphorus, then served as a prison, and during the 1800's a neighborhood developed within it. Eventually the neighborhood was cleared, and the fortress underwent a 5 year restoration, opening as a museum in 1960. Visiting the fortress is a great experience, especially when climbing to the top, and viewing out over the Bosphorus and the towering Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, located just north. There are also several concerts held here during the summer in the open-air theater built during the restoration. Amazing historical site in Istanbul, definatley a must-see!

Directions: Located along the Bosphorus on the European side, just north of Bebek and near the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge