Rumelifeneri Castle, Medieval fortress in Sarıyer, Turkey
Rumelifeneri Castle is a fortress ruin in SarIyer with stone and brick walls extending roughly 500 meters along the Bosphorus Strait at widths between 60 and 120 meters. The structure sits at the northern entrance of the waterway where it opens to the Black Sea.
A Greek engineer built the fortress in 1768 for the Ottoman Empire, likely incorporating older foundations from previous structures at the site. This construction approach reflects how the empire adapted earlier military works to suit its own strategic needs.
The name combines Rumeli, meaning Greek Land, with Feneri, referring to the lighthouse that still operates near the castle today. Visitors walking through the ruins can see how this dual identity reflects the site's role as a meeting point between cultures.
The ruins are located at the northern tip of the Bosphorus and are accessible for exploration on foot. Plan for uneven terrain and loose stones, so wear sturdy shoes and move carefully around the site.
Archaeological digs starting in 2010 have uncovered artifacts from multiple civilizations that inhabited this strategic site over centuries. These discoveries reveal how the location's control of the waterway made it valuable to different peoples across time.
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