Yedikule Dungeons Museum, Byzantine fortress museum in Fatih district, Istanbul, Turkey
Yedikule Dungeons Museum is a fortress complex with seven towers, stone passages, and ancient chambers built into the old city walls of Constantinople. The thick fortifications surround an open courtyard and reveal how the structure once protected the city's gates.
The site was built in 413 under Emperor Theodosius II as a key defensive structure. It later became a prison complex where political prisoners and high-ranking captives were held during Ottoman rule.
The site displays building techniques from both Byzantine and Ottoman periods. The Golden Gate served as the ceremonial entrance for imperial processions and remains a focal point of the complex.
Entry is through the Golden Gate and pathways lead down through stone corridors into different levels of the complex. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes as exploring involves climbing several staircases and walking through narrow passages.
A deep well within the complex served as a prison for high-ranking captives and stands as a silent witness to the site's harsh past. Its narrow, dark structure still conveys the severity of confinement experienced there.
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