Rumelihisarı

Rumelihisarı (also known as Rumelian Fortress and Roumeli Hissar Fortress) or Boğazkesen Fortress (literally ‘strait-cutter fortress’) is a medieval Ottoman fortress located in Istanbul, Turkey, on a series of hills on the European banks of the Bosphorus.

Conceived and built between 1451 and 1452 CE on the orders of Sultan Mehmed II, the complex was commissioned in preparation for a planned Ottoman siege on the then-Byzantine city of Constantinople, with the goal of cutting off maritime military and logistical relief that could potentially come to the Byzantines’ aid by way of the Bosphorus Strait.

The site for the new fortress was quickly decided to be the narrowmost point of the Bosphorus, where the strait is a mere 660 meters (2,170 ft) wide. This tall, hilltop site on the strait’s European banks was situated directly across from the Anadoluhisarı (“Anatolian Fortress”) on the Anatolian (Asian) banks of the Bosphorus; an older Ottoman fortress built between 1393 and 1394 by Sultan Bayezid I.

It was built in a short period of four months by Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror in 1452 to manage the passing ships in the bosphorus, to create a military-financial control point, and to implement a strong resistance base to prevent attacks from the north of the Bosphorus. Some historical sources state that 300 masters, 700-800 workers, 200 coachmen, boatmen and transporters worked to construct the fortress in this limited time. The architect of the fortress is Muslihiddin Ağa, who is the head architect of Mehmed II. A battalion of 400 Janissaries was stationed in the fortress, and large cannons were placed in the Halil Pasha Tower, the main tower on the waterfront.