Rumelihisarı (also known as Rumelian Castle and Roumeli Hissar Castle) is a fortress in the Sarıyer district, on a hill on the European side of the Bosphorus.
It was built by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II between 1451 and 1452, before his army's conquest of Constantinople. He built it so that he could control the sea traffic on the Bosphorus strait and prevent aid from the Black Sea reaching Constantinople during the Turkish siege of the city in 1453.
The three great towers were named after three of Mehmed II's viziers: Sadrazam Çandarlı Halil Pasha, who built the large tower next to the gate; Zağanos Pasha, who built the south tower; and Sarıca Pasha, who built the north tower.
Rumelihisarı is situated at the narrowest point with 660 meters of the Bosphorus strait, just opposite of Anadoluhisarı (Anatolian Castle) on the Anatolian side
Rumelihisarı was the site of a Roman fortification which was used as a prison by the Byzantines and Genoese. Later on, a monastery was built there
Well worth a visit
No comments:
Post a Comment