A very beautiful and pleasant place with a special, unusual atmosphere! Near the fortress there are very beautiful restaurants and views of the Bridge and the sea. Not far from the fortress there is a large, beautiful park for walking and picnics! I advise you!
A small fortress, a view of the Bosphorus and the bridge from above. The entrance fee for tourists is 100 liras.
We spent half an hour on the entire inspection and photo.
It's a beautiful place, there are nice cafes downstairs
If I say the most beautiful district of Istanbul, I guess I'm not exaggerating, it's small, but it's a perfect place with everything. The quality of Özen Börek, the beauty of the stream, the blue of the sea, the peace of your stream is another thing when you say Anatolian Fortress
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Дмитрий П.
Level 8 Local Expert
December 5, 2024
A gorgeous place, I recommend visiting closer to sunset, the entrance fee is 100 liras. Gorgeous views. Please note that the museum is closed on Monday
The Anatolian Fortress (Anadolu Hisarı tour), formerly known as Güzelce Hisarı ("beautiful fortress"), is located on the Asian side of the Bosphorus. The complex is the oldest surviving Turkish architectural structure in Istanbul.
The fortress was built in 1393-94 on behalf of the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I in preparation for the siege of the Byzantine city of Constantinople. It is located at the narrowest point of the Bosphorus. Previously, the Roman temple of Uranus was located on this site. The stronghold was used as an observation post, protecting a small bay where the Ottoman fleet was stationed. The garrison was fully supplied with fresh water: the Geksu River flowed into the Bosporus.
🏰Covers an area of 7,000 square meters. The citadel has the shape of an irregular pentagon with five watchtowers at the corners and a main square tower 25 meters high.
The campaign to besiege Constantinople was interrupted by the Crusade and the 11-year period of unrest that engulfed the Ottomans.
Sultan Mehmed II reinforced the walls of the fortress to two meters with a thin wall and three additional watchtowers. In 1452, before the start of a new military campaign to conquer Constantinople, Mehmed II built his Rumeli fortress on the opposite shore in record time, thus taking full control of all maritime traffic along the Bosphorus. In 1453 Constantinople was taken by the Ottomans, becoming the new imperial capital Istanbul.
In the future, the fortress was used as a customs house, a military prison. It lost its defensive importance at the end of the XVII century, after which it fell into decline. In 1991-93 it was partially restored, it houses a museum closed to the general public.
Unfortunately, at the moment it is possible to inspect the fortress only from the outside. The towers, parts of the fortification walls, and a small mosque built by Mehmed II have been preserved. There is a small Bayezid park on the territory of the complex.