Rumeli Fortress

Rumeli Hisarı

Mehmed II's 1452 fortress, built in four months

Hours

Apr–Oct 09:00–18:00, until 17:00 in winter. Closed Mondays. Ticket desk closes an hour earlier

Tickets

About €6 for foreigners, free under 12

Address

On the Bosphorus shore road between Bebek and Emirgan

Mehmed II threw this castle up on the narrowest stretch of the strait just before taking Constantinople. Stone walls and three big towers climb the hill down to the water, and from the ramparts you see the Bosphorus bridge and the Anatolian fortress opposite. The courtyard is grassy, with stone steps to wander up and down. Conservation work sometimes closes the high wall walks.