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Rumeli Fortress Museum
Museum Entry
NEW Walk-in
4.5
877 Reviews #49 in Istanbul
Free With
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€3 Regular Ticket Value
Rumeli Fortress enabled the conquer of Constantinople by the hand of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, who ordered the fortress to be built. It is hard to believe, but this grand building was built in four months in order to protect the Ottoman troops from an attack behind them while they were invading Constantinople.
Mobile ticketing - No need for printed voucher, we're digital!
Duration - Unlimited Free Time
Visiting Hours: Tuesdays to Sundays: 10:00 – 18:30
Highlights
Architectural genius that enabled a safe place for the Ottomans.
Cannons and cannonballs.
A part of the chain that was used to protect the Golden Horn.
Viewing Bosporus from above.
Medieval towers that held strategic importance.
Includes
Free entry to the Fortress
Three huge towers, one small tower, and thirteen minor towers make up the Rumeli Fortress Museum, and all of these parts are still in excellent shape. In the museum, there is not an exhibition hall or a warehouse; so, the cannonballs, balls, and a portion of the chain that was used to defend Golden Horn from attacks are displayed in the garden. Even just seeing the view of the Bosporus from this gorgeous garden is reason enough to go. While it is a mesmerising place as a museum now, the Rumeli Fortress became a prison after the conquer of Constantinople.
When Istanbul was established, the fortress was used as a customs checkpoint that forced foreign ships to obey the rules of the Ottomans. All of this information can be learnt in a guided visit to the Rumeli Fortress Museum, but you can also just relax with the open-air activities that take place in the museum complex. While the Rumeli Fortress appears as a threatening stone giant, the trees and plants that grow within the complex makes strolling in this medieval building a magical journey.
Mehmed II of the Ottoman Dynasty was determined to take Constantinople, and his ambition has left many beautiful things behind. One of these things is the Rumeli Fortress that has been watching over the Bosporus for almost six hundred years. Don’t let the greatness of this building deceive you, it took only four months of iron will to build such an astonishing building.
Rumeli Fortress was responsible from protecting the Ottoman lines by preventing any help to the Byzantian side of the war, and it has done its job successfully. Even though the fortress lost its strategic importance in time with the lack of need to it as the city had already been conquered and other fortresses were built on further ends of the Bosporus, Rumeli Fortress has never been left to rot.
There were dwellings within the walls of the fortress until a fire destroyed them. Seeing this as an opportunity, the fortress was turned into the Rumeli Fortress Museum that portrays the initial aim of the fortress complex with its cannons and cannonballs. Thanks to Istanbul Tourist Pass, you can visit the Rumeli Fortress Museum, see the historical relics from the Medieval period in which the fortress was built and see the Bosporus from tranquil gardens of the fortress while walking up and down on the building complexes, imagining that you were a night guard.
You can find our guides at the meeting points in order to redeem your cards.
Fortress under renovation partially because of this only Garden Area open to visit.
Avoid paying the entry fees and skip the ticket queues with Istanbul Tourist Pass®.
Rumeli Fortress Museum is Included in Istanbul Tourist Pass®️
Avoid paying the €3 admission fee at the Rumeli Fortress Museum with Istanbul Tourist Pass.
By having the Istanbul Tourist Pass®, you can visit more than 75+ attractions in Istanbul. You can save huge amount of time and money by not waiting in the long queues or paying fees at the entrances of the museums or for other facilities and activities. You can buy the Istanbul Tourist Pass®️ for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 or 10 days. So many attractions are available with Istanbul Tourist Pass®️ such as Topkapı Palace, Hagia Sophia, Dolmabahçe Palace, Sapanca Lake daily tour, Dinner on the Bosphorus, Istanbul Airport Shuttle etc. included in the pass. For more details and updated attractions available with the pass can be found on website.
Both the Anadolu Castle and the Rumeli Castle were constructed by Ottoman sultans for the purpose of preventing military and economic assistance to the Byzantine Empire from arriving from the direction of the northern Black Sea
The stronghold had five entrances in total: three major gates next to the main towers, one side gate, and two hidden entrances adjacent to the southern tower that led to the arsenal and food vaults.
4.8 out of 5 stars
Istanbul Tourist Pass® has an average rating of 4.8 /5 from 475 reviews
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The Rumeli Fortress, which served as a symbol of the Ottoman Empire's power in the Bosphorus throughout history and is now used as a museum, can be found in Istanbul. The fortress, which is named for the district in which it is located.