Fortress in Istanbul, Turkey
Anadoluhisarı
(English:
Anatolian Fortress
), known historically as
Guzelce Hisar
("the Beauteous Fortress"
[1]
) is a medieval
Ottoman
fortress
located in
Istanbul
,
Turkey
on the
Anatolian
(
Asian
) side of the
Bosporus
. The complex is the oldest surviving Turkish architectural structure built in Istanbul, and further gives its name to the
neighborhood around it
in the city's
Beykoz
district.
History
[
edit
]
Anadoluhisarı was built between 1393 and 1394 on the commission of the
Ottoman
Sultan
Bayezid I
, as part of his preparations for a siege on the then-
Byzantine
city of
Constantinople
.
Constructed on an area of 7,000 square metres (1.7 acres), the fortress is situated at the narrowmost point of the
Bosporus
, where the strait is a mere 660 meters (2,170 ft) wide. The site is bound by Goksu (
Ancient Greek
:
Aretos
) creek to the south, and was previously home to the ruins of a
Roman
temple dedicated to
Uranus
.
[2]
Erected primarily as a watch fort, the citadel has a 25 meters (82 ft) tall, quadratic main tower within the walls of an irregular pentagon, with five watchtowers at the corners.
Constantinople was
blockaded
from 1394 on, but Bayezid's campaign was first interrupted by the
Crusade of Nicopolis
, and then ended with his defeat at the
Battle of Ankara
. An 11-year
civil war
followed, which ended with the ascent of
Mehmed I
to the throne. His grandson, Sultan
Mehmed II
reinforced the fortress with a two-meter-thick wall and three additional watchtowers, and added further extensions, including a warehouse and living quarters. As part of his plans to launch a renewed military campaign to conquer Constantinople, Mehmed II further built a sister structure to Anadoluhisarı across the Bosphorus called
Rumelihisarı
. The two fortresses worked in tandem in 1453 to throttle all maritime traffic along the Bosphorus, thus helping the Ottomans achieve their goal of making the city of
Constantinople
(later renamed
Istanbul
) their new imperial capital.
After the
Ottoman conquest of the city
, Anadoluhisarı served as a customs house and military prison, and after several centuries, fell into disrepair.
After the
fall of the Ottomans
and the 1923 establishment of the
Republic of Turkey
, the newly created
Turkish Ministry of Culture
tended to and ultimately restored the site in 1991?1993. Today, Anadoluhisarı lends a
picturesque
appearance to its corner of the Bosphorus alongside the timber
yalı
homes that define the neighborhood, and functions as a historical site, although it is not open to the public. The latest restoration was conducted by
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality
which started in 2021.
[3]
[4]
[5]
Gallery
[
edit
]
-
Anadoluhisarı from a postcard dated 1901
-
Local street view of the neighborhood of the same name
-
The castle as seen from the coast
-
The castle amidst the traditional Istanbul waterside mansions known as
yalı
-
Anadoluhisarı as seen from
Bosphorus
strait
See also
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
|
---|
Archaeology and history museums
| |
---|
Castles
| |
---|
Culture and art museums
| |
---|
Historic house museums
| |
---|
Literary museums
| |
---|
Military museums
| |
---|
Palaces and pavilions
| |
---|
Religious museums
| |
---|
Science and technology museums
| |
---|
Miscellaneous
| |
---|