Yedikule Fortress

The History of Yedikule Hisari

‘Hisari’ in Turkish means castle or fortress, and this particular architectural beauty was built in the 5th century, during the time of Theodosius I, and II. It was designed to the ‘golden gate’, the entrance point to what is now Istanbul, and the original doors were huge and covered completely in gold. One of the most expensive builds of its time, Yedikule Hisari originally had four towers, and was frequently visited by dignitaries and visiting VIPs from around the world.

Three more towers were added to Yedikule Hisari in 1543, by Mehmet the Conquerer. This transformed the building from a gate, into a true fortress, and it was also used as a prison and treasury too. You can see the towers even today, and they are named as the Flag Tower, Sultan Ahmet III Tower, the Armoury Tower, the Dungeon Tower, Top Tower, Treasure Tower, and Young Osman Tower. The Young Osman Tower was the site of Sultan Osman II’s death, during his imprisonment.

The Walls of Constantinople run around Yedikule Hisari, and this is the last point of Istanbul, before you venture into the surrounding suburban areas, which are surprisingly rural for the size of the metropolis you’ve just visited!

Visiting Yedikule Hisari

Visiting Yedikule Hisari is of course not as easy as visiting one of the city’s central attractions, because of the distance, however this is a great excuse to see a more authentic and residential side of Istanbul. The easiest and quickest way is to take the train, which means you don’t have to sit in endless amounts of traffic around Fatih and the smaller distracts past there. Head to Sirkeci Station in Fatih and take the train to Halkali. Yedikule is part way between the two and the stop will be well announced.

Of course, you could take the bus if you really want to, and there is a direct bus from Eminonu to Yedikule which runs a few times per day. Remember, traffic around this part of the city in particular can be very bad at certain times, and also grid locked occasionally. You basically won’t feel like you’re going anywhere very fast!

Yedikule HIsari is open every day apart from Wednesdays, and from 9.30am until 4.30pm. It will cost you just 5TL to go inside, and you should certainly remember your camera for the stunning views over the surrounding area.

Your visit to Yedikule HIsari will probably take you half a day when you factor in the travel time, but this still gives you space and opportunity to visit the other attractions within the general vicinity. When you get back on the train to Fatih, simply walk back down to Sultanahmet or Eminonu and see some of the main sights down there. We might be painting Yedikule Hisari as being a very long way, but three miles is really nothing! The train will make your journey faster, and that leaves you space to perhaps go and visit the Blue Mosque or Topkapi Palace. If you want to stay around Eminonu and enjoy the waterfront feel over the Golden Horn, why not visit Yeni Camii (New Mosque), or venture towards the fragrant Spice Bazaar? Alternatively, there are some fantastic restaurants underneath the Galata Bridge, where you can enjoy seafood in particular, and have the best spot in the house for the sun setting over the Golden Horn.

Although some of Istanbul’s sights might be a little further away, these are often the best, because you won’t have to do battle with crowds, and stand in line for admission. This leaves you time and space to wander free and really take in the history, which oozes out of every single stone.