Native Name: Rumeli Hisari
The Rumeli Fortress can be found on the European (Rumeli) side of the Bosphorus . It was built by Mehmed II to take the control over the waterway of the narrowest point of the
Istanbul
Bosphorus , before the conquest time . The construction period was short , about four months beginning in the spring of 1452 . It was build to help in blocking the aids that could come to
Byzantium
through the Bosphorus . The fortress lost its importance after the conquest of Constantinople in 1453 as it was replaced with a pair of fortresses that were built further up the Bosphorus where the strait meets the Black Sea , and it became a storage facility and a prison . In 1509 , an earthquake hit the area however , the fortress was repaired immediately after . It has also survived a 17th century fire and the last repairing was by the Ottomans during the rule of Selim III (1789-1807) .
The fortress serves now as a museum , displaying the canons that were used during the conquest . There is also an outdoor mini-amphitheater where various music festivals in Istanbul were held .
Fortress of Rumeli is open for visiting as a museum between 09:00 AM - 6:30 PM except Wednesdays .
You can watch the wonderful view of Istanbul Bosphorus on the roads over the walls which can be climbed from the stairs in the atrium .
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