Sights · 33 of the best in Istanbul
Rumelihisarı
The fortress of 1452
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © İhsan Deniz Kılıçoğlu · CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia CommonsAbout Rumelihisarı
Mehmed II built the Rumelihisarı fortress in just a few months in 1452, at the narrowest point of the Bosphorus, facing the older Anadoluhisarı on the Asian shore, to control the strait before his siege of Constantinople. Its towers and walls climb the hillside above the water and are now an open-air museum.
Why it's on our list
- Built in 1452
- Bosphorus views
- Open-air museum
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Rumelihisarı before you go.
What’s nearby
Distances from Rumelihisarı are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 15 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Nearest metro & tram stops
- Boğaziçi Üniversitesi/HisarüstüM6900 m11 min walk
- EtilerM61.6 km20 min walk
Nearest taxi ranks
- Taxi rank, Körfez Caddesi900 m12 min walk
- Taxi rank, Sakıp Sabancı Caddesi1.3 km17 min walk
Key sights
- Dolmabahçe Palace7.0 kmCycle 28 minCar or taxi 24 min
- Taksim Square8.0 kmCycle 32 minCar or taxi 27 min
- İstiklal Avenue8.7 kmCycle 35 minCar or taxi 29 min
- Galata Tower9.5 kmCycle 38 minCar or taxi 32 min
- Galata Bridge10 kmCycle 40 minCar or taxi 33 min
- Topkapı Palace10 kmCycle 41 minCar or taxi 34 min
- Spice Bazaar10 kmCycle 42 minCar or taxi 34 min
- Hagia Sophia11 kmCycle 42 minCar or taxi 35 min
- Basilica Cistern11 kmCycle 43 minCar or taxi 35 min
- Süleymaniye Mosque11 kmCycle 43 minCar or taxi 36 min
Getting around
- Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW)30 kmCar or taxi 92 min
- Istanbul Airport (IST)33 kmCar or taxi 102 min