RUMELİHİSARI MUSEUM

Rumelihisarı, Sarıyer - Istanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°05'05.6"N 29°03'24.3"E / 41.084886, 29.056750



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Rumelihisarı is a fortress located in the Sarıyer district of Istanbul, on a hill at the European side of the Bosphorus. It gives the name of the quarter around it. It was built by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II between 1451 and 1452, before he conquered Constantinople. The three great towers were named after three of Mehmed II's viziers, Sadrazam Çandarlı Halil Pasha, who built the big tower next to the gate, Zağanos Pasha, who built the south tower, and Sarıca Pasha, who built the north tower.

It consists of three large and one small towers, connected by a wall reinforced with 13 small watchtowers. With cannons mounted on its main towers, the fort gave the Ottomans complete control of the passage of ships through Bosporus, a role evoked clearly in its original name, Boğazkesen "cutter of the strait". After the conquest of Constantinople, it served as a customs checkpoint and a prison, notably for the embassies of states that were at war with the Empire. After suffering extensive damage in the 1509 earthquake, it was repaired, and was used continuously until the late 19th century.

It was built by Sultan Mehmed II in four months beginning in the spring of 1452 across the waters from the Anatolian Fortress (Anadoluhisari or Güzelce Hisar) built by his grandfather Sultan Bayezid I (1389-1402). The aim was to establish control of the waterway at this narrowest point of the strait (660 m) where ships would need to approach the shore to avoid the strong currents. A batallion of four hundred soldiers were stationed at the fortress (hisar) beginning in 1452, and prevented the passage of ships with canon fire during the siege of Constantinople. It is hence, also known as the Boğazkesen or the Controller of the Straits.

Rumelihisarı is situated at the narrowest point with 660 m of the Bosporus strait, just opposite of the Anadoluhisarı on the Anatolian side, another Ottoman fortress which was built between 1393 and 1394 by Sultan Bayezid I. The place was chosen to prevent aid from the Black Sea reaching Constantinople during the Turkish siege of the city in 1453, particularly from the Genoese colonies such as Caffa, Sinop and Amasra.

Sultan Murad II (1404-1451), who wanted to ferry his army across the Bosporus, encountered difficulties due to the blockade of the Byzantine fleet. The necessity of a fortress opposite of Anadoluhisarı was well known to the Ottomans. At this place, there was a Roman fortification in the past, which was used as a prison by the Byzantine and Genoese. Later on, a monastery was built here.

In preparation for the conquest of Constantinople, Sultan Mehmed II (1432-1481), son of Sultan Murad II, started to realize the construction of the fortress immediately following his second ascent to the throne in 1451. He refused the plea for peace of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI (1404-1453), who understood the intention of the Sultan.

The construction began on April 15, 1452. Each one of the three main towers were named after the Pashas who supervised their construction, which were later named after them. The sultan personally inspected the activities on the site. With the help of thousands of masons and workers, the fortress was completed in a record time of 4 months and 16 days on August 31, 1452.

Historical documents show that the site was vacant except for the remains of two cisterns and that Byzantine ruins in the vicinity were used to supply stone for the construction. The fortress lost its strategic importance after the fall of Constantinople in 1453 when a second pair of fortresses was built further up the Bosphorus where the strait meets the Black Sea. The Rumeli Fortress became a storage facility and a prison for local and foreign diplomats.

It was repaired immediately after the 1509 earthquake and survived a 17th century fire. It was last repaired by the Ottomans during the rule of Selim III (1789-1807). A large fishing village, inhabited largely by Ottoman Turks who were settled there during the construction of the fortress, developed along the waterfront with seaside mansions built beginning in late 18th century. A new neighborhood (Hisariçi) was formed inside the fortress after it was abandoned in the 19th century. The oldest Ottoman cemetery on European soil is found adjoining the fortress to the south.

The fortress is a walled-in enclosure 250 meters long and 130 meters wide at its longest. It has one small and three large towers (kule) and thirteen small watchtowers (burç). Its total area is 31,250 m2. The towers are named after their vizier donors, who are also believed to have supervised the construction. The walls begin at the Halil Paşa Tower at the water's edge, travel diagonally up the hill to the Saruca Paşa Tower at the northwest peak, continue southward across a valley to the Zaganos Paşa Tower at the southwest peak and descend vertically down to the waters edge to the small Zaganos Paşa tower a hundred meters south of the Halil Paşa Tower.

There are three entrances, one next to each large tower; a shallower outer wall (hisarpeçe) protects the seaside entrance. The peripheries of the Halil Paşa, Saruca Paşa and the Zaganos Paşa towers are 23.3 meters, 23.8 meters and 26.70 meters respectively and their heights are 35, 33.3 and 25.30 meters excluding the conical roofs that once crowned the towers. The last two are round while the first is twelve-sided on the exterior. Inscriptive plaques in Arabic, referring to Zaganos Paşa were found at the southwest tower that is named after him and also at a smaller tower located at the southeast corner, at the water's edge.

The space within each tower was divided up with wooden floors, each equipped with a furnace (ocak); only the Saruca Paşa Tower retains its wooden floors. All towers, watchtowers and walls are topped with crenellations.

The fortress had wooden houses for the soldiers and a small mosque, endowed by Mehmed II at the time of construction. Only the minaret shaft remains of the original mosque, while the small mescid added in the mid 16th century has not survived. Water was supplied to the fortress from a large cistern underneath the mosque and distributed through three wall-fountains, of which only one has remained.

A battalion of 400 Janissaries were stationed in the fortress, and large cannons were placed in the Halil Pasha Tower, the main tower on the waterfront. After a short while, a Venetian ship coming from the Black Sea, which ignored the order to halt by the commander of the fortress, Firuz Ağa, was bombarded and sunk. The cannons were later used until the second half of the 19th century to greet the sultan when he passed by by sea.

After the fall of Constantinople, the fortress served as a customs checkpoint. Rumelihisarı, which was designated to control the passage of ships through the strait, eventually lost its strategic importance when a second pair of fortresses was built further up the Bosphorus, where the strait meets the Black Sea. In the 17th century, it was used as a prison. Rumelihisarı was partly destroyed by an earthquake in 1509, but was repaired soon after. In 1746, a fire destroyed all the wooden parts in two of the main towers. The fortress was repaired by Sultan Selim III (1761-1807).

However, a new neighborhood was formed inside the fortress after it was abandoned in the 19th century. In 1953, the neighborhood was removed by the order of President Celal Bayar and an extensive restoration work began on May 16, 1955, which lasted until May 29, 1958. Older photographs show a series of seaside mansions along the fortress walls, none of which have come to our day. Their place is taken today by a two-lane coastal highway that was built immediately outside the fortress walls in the 1960s.

Since 1960 Rumelihisarı has been a museum and an open-air theater for various concerts at festivals during the summer months. The Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge which spans the Bosporus is located close to the fortress, to the north. A museum was opened by the Ministry of Culture in the Saruca Paşa Tower following the restoration. An open-air auditorium was also built in the courtyard during this time. While this addition is often considered an innovative example of adaptive reuse, it is also criticized for having damaged the historic appearance of the fortress.

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WEB SITE : Rumelihisarı Museum

MORE INFO & CONTACT
E-Mail : hisarlarmuzesi@kultur.gov.tr
Phone : +90 212 263 5305
Fax : +90 212 265 0410

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GARİPÇE GENOESE CASTLE

Garipçe, Sarıyer - İstanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°12'50.7"N 29°06'38.3"E / 41.214078, 29.110636



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Situated at the Black Sea entrance to the Bosphorus, Garipçe is one of Istanbul's quaintest villages. Boasting beautiful wooden Ottoman-era houses, a 500-year old Genoese castle and an old church, this small Sarıyer township lies just over 30 km from Taksim. Garipçe's name is derived from the Turkish word Garip, meaning "poor" or "miserable" due to the sense of isolation which used to be inherent in Istanbul's once near inaccessible furthest reaches.

Garipçe village comes from this isolated life the village had lived for a long time. However, today it is very easy to reach the village by your car or the bus that comes by every 35 minutes. These days, Garipçe can be easily reached by bus or car from Istanbul city centre, and is a popular day trip for locals who come here to enjoy a village style breakfast or sea-fresh fish dinner from one of the famous seafood restaurants in the area.

The center of the village, resembling a traditional village circle, stands right on the shore. Here Fish Restaurants. The place, in which businessmen, authors, many researchers from academia have become regulars, is a family restaurant that does not serve alcohol. They offer daily fish choices that they catch in their own boats. In the summer there are usually pilchards, scorpion fish, horse mackerel and striped red mullet. In the winter there is red mullet, turbot, bluefish, bonito, large bonito and anchovy.

Garipçe Village, with its residents almost entirely from the Black Sea region, has managed to preserve its nature and ambiance. One reason for this situation is that the village is a protected area. The town centre is home to interesting examples of Ottoman village architecture and has a scattering of tea houses and restaurants. The surroundings are dominated by beautiful forested areas, making Garipçe a popular place for cycling or hiking.

Immediately on the left, stands the 500 years old Genoese castle. The castle still survives with its arched walls, stepped cuttings and cellars, although it looks uncared for and messy due to treasure seekers. The castle has a seascape panorama, and it is planned to be converted to an underwater museum in the future. One of Garipçe's most popular attractions is its castle, which, although not in the best state, nevertheless survives largely intact and enjoys amazing views over the sea.

One of the most important features of the village is the soft spring, which is said to be good for kidney stones. The spring is known as the Pilgrims’ Water or Hacı Süleyman Spring. The Seaside restaurant is just behind the spring.

Garipçe (strange or curious), or, anciently, Gyropolis, Town of Vultures. This too has a fortress built in 1773 by the Baron de Tott. Here King Phineus lived and here he was plagued by the Harpies who seized his food and befouled his table until he wasted away to a wraith; at last the Argonauts arrived and the winged sons of Boreas, Zetes and Kalais, taking pity on the ancient king, their brother-in-law, chased away the noxious creatures.

In return Phineus, who was a prophet, advised them about the rest of their journey and especially about how to avoid the baleful Symplegades. These, indeed, were clearly visible from his very palace, two great rocks at the mouth of the Bosphorus, one on either side, which were supposed to clash together with great rapidity and violence, thus making it very dangerous if not impossible for ships to enter or leave the strait.

Phineus told the Argonauts to let loose a dove which would fly between them; if it was caught, they were to give up their journey, but if it got through safely, they were to wait till the rocks opened once more and then row their hardest. The Symplegades just shaved off the tailfeathers of the dove and slightly damaged the stern-works of the Argo. The Symplegades, the Clashing Rocks, were also called Cyanean, the Blue Rocks, or in Turkish Öreke Taşı, the Distaff Rock or Midwife’s Stool.

The European one is a striking feature at the very mouth of the Bosphorus, formerly some 100 metres offshore at Rumeli Feneri, the Rumelian Lighthouse. There is a tiny village here and the remains of a fort built in 1769 by a Greek engineer. The Rock, which is now joined to the shore by a concrete mole, is about 20 metres high and something less than 200 metres long, divided by deep fissures into several parts. On the highest plateau stands what is left of the socalled Pillar of Pompey. “The ascent to this peak,” says Gyllius, “is not open except by one approach, and this, extremely narrow, so that one must climb up on all fours.”

Nowadays there are two approaches, one slightly easier than the other, but both disagreeable enough for one who is terrified of heights. The reward of intrepidity is a fine view of the Black Sea and the Bosphorus, and the base of Pompey’s column. It is not really a column base but an ancient altar, decorated with a garlanded ram’s head and other reliefs now much worn; it once had a Latin inscription, no longer legible, the transcription and interpretation of which are matters of discussion.

Certainly neither altar nor column had anything to do with Pompey, and we do not know who first gave it this misleading name: it was after Gyllius’ time evidently, since he does not mention it. He thought the altar was probably a remnant of the shrine to Apollo which Dionysius of Byzantium says the Romans erected on one of the Cyanean Rocks. The column itself, with its Corinthian capital, toppled down in April 1680 and had utterly disappeared by 1800. There is now a simple fish restaurant on the Rock, with its tables set out on the breakwater at the very end of the Bosphorus.

the Karipçe and Poyraz forts were not left the way Baron de Tott had built them and were redesigned with the contributions of Toussaint in 1778, Lafitte-Clavé in 1785 and General Sébastiani (who later became the French ambassador) in 1807. The fort of Karipçe as we see it today presents itself as sort of demi-lune, which form was largely determined by the shape of the rocky plateau on which it was built. Its guns fired in three different directions. On group aimed north in the direction of the Black Sea.

Here an attack at close range was difficult because of reefs out in the sea in front of the work. Seven guns fired directly south and effectively covered the small cove where the village is situated, one of the few places where as small force could venture a landing with the help of small boats. The main function of the fort, however, was to close the Strait in collaboration with its twin on the Asian side, the Fort of Poyraz. For this purpose an impressive battery was built on the extreme southern end of the promontory, able to fire from three levels. There is an open upper platform with guns firing through massive battlements.

The middle level is an imposing heavily-vaulted casemate with guns firing through large embrasures. Due to the terrain this casemate is divided in three sections, each firing in a slightly different direction. At a much lower level is the third battery, where the guns could also fire in three different directions. At present it is not yet entirely clear which part of the fort was built after Baron de Tott’s plans and which was added later. The first impression is that the great casemate is of de Tott’s time and that the lower platform was added later.

It also appears that the open upper platform was added later, or at least modified from an embankment for rifle fire into a battery for guns. The bricks used for its battlements are rather different from those used in the casemate.

The latter are the typically thin tile-like bricks of the 18th century, those on the upper platform are much thicker and of different structure. In the casemate a change was made during the Cold War period, when a single large opening was made in reinforced concrete, allowing one very large and modern gun to fire from it, aiming directly at the entrance to the Bosphorus from the Black sea.

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RUMELİ FENERİ GENOESE CASTLE

Rumelifeneri, Sarıyer - İstanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°14'15.0"N 29°06'39.0"E / 41.237500, 29.110833



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In the North end of Istanbul, near a village near the Bosporus’s Black Sea end named “Rumeli Feneri”, there’s a Medieval Genoese castle. Rumeli Feneri literally means “Greek land Lighthouse” in Turkish language. The village is named after a historical lighthouse still in use which is located on the European side of Bosphorus’ Black Sea entrance in Istanbul. Rumeli (or Rumelia) is the former name for the Turkish lands in Europe.

The lighthouse was built by the French in order to provide safe navigation for the French and British war ships entering the Istanbul Strait from Black Sea during the Crimean War (1853-1856). The lighthouse is situated on a hillside 58 m (190 ft) high above the sea level and the entirely white painted tower has a height of 30 m (98 ft). It is the tallest lighthouse in Turkey. The tower has the form of a two-staged octagonal prism. Initially, it was lit by kerosene that was later replaced by Dalén light using carbide (acetylene gas).

Today, the light source is electricity, however, a butane gas lighting system is also installed for backup purposes. The Fresnel lens with 500 mm (1.6 ft) focal length allows the white light that group flashes every 12 seconds, a range of 18 nmi (33 km).

 It was captured by Ottomans in 1305, according to the registries, it was under the control of Genoa in 1348. Yıldırım Beyazıt, who captured the castle in 1391, conducted some of his preparations of for the siege of İstanbul from the castle.

In 1576, the castle, the bath, and the mosque inside the castle were renovated. The castle’s existence, was for the first time, mentioned circa 1404 by R.G. Clavijo, who was appointed as ambassador to Samarkand from Spain, The east west length of castle, which was built of stone and brick, is 500 m, and its width ranges between 60 and 120 m.

We stumbled across the castle / fortress by chance, when we spotted it from the sea walls on another bluff, and decided to ride over. Its age seemed indeterminate; it had these old, worn-down looking walls which suggested something like 1770.

The Rumeli Feneri castle is built by the Genoese, but during the Ottoman period, the original medieval fortification was totally redesigned to place many cannon there. Because for many centuries the Black Sea was an Ottoman lake, the change must have occurred in the late 18th century or even later.

Genoese-built Rumeli Feneri castle, approached by a dirt road. The place where it stands is quite large, but much of what can be seen is simply remains of what was once a large castle that was used to protect İstanbul. While here, look out from the castle’s doors out to sea and listen to the sound of the waves hitting the rocks. Sometimes you may even see dolphins playing in the water here.

This tower stands at the northernmost point of the European side of İstanbul and was built with stone and brick during the 17th century under the reign of Sultan Murat IV. At one time, this fortification sheltered 300 soldiers, 60 homes, a fortress, 100 cannons and a mosque. It was used as a police outpost during the early republican years.

Rumeli Feneri castle placed in Europe in the opposite shore of the Yoros castle near the entrance of the black sea. The Yoros Castle is on the top of a green hill that now as long time ago, is occupied by soldiers of the Turkish army. Part of the hill where rise the castle is now an inaccessible military zone. On this subject, we should open a parenthesis for all those who are unfamiliar with Istanbul. Here, inside the city, the only large forests that have withstand to the speculation are those occupied by the army.

This is on the one hand the salvation of places like this hill that would otherwise have been invaded by new construction on the other it is a real pity for all the inhabitants of Istanbul who cannot enjoy these areas and on sunny days are crowded in the public parks and along the shore of the Bosphorus to eat and stay together.

We know that the area of the castle was occupied before the Byzantine time by the Phoenicians and the Greek for trading and military purpose, but the exact date of the foundation is still the date of the castle is still subject of studies. The Greeks called this area Hieron (Sacred Place) and built here the temple honoring Zeus and a temple of Altar of Twelve Gods  where probably the priests held the ritual practices and sacrifices in favor of the gods. Yoros Castle was intermittently occupied throughout the course of the Byzantine Empire.

Within the military museum in Istanbul is still possible to see a part of this chain to be aware of its weight and its enormous size. The castle was the apple of discord between the Byzantines, Genoese, and Ottomans. For several years there was an endless dispute. In 1305 it was conquered by Ottoman forces, then recaptured by the Byzantines. Then, Ottoman retained control of the castle from 1391 until 1414 when they lost it to the Genoese who had built a great trade route on the Black Sea.

The Genoese retained control of the castle for the next forty years, this is the reason why Yoros castle is also called the Genoese castle. Finally, Mehmed the Conqueror took control of Constantinople in 1453, he drove the Genoese out.  He then fortified the walls, and constructed a customs office, quarantine, and check point, as well as placing a garrison of troops there. The castle is now in ruins and it has not suffered heavy restorations as in the case of Yedikule castle.

The last forts at the location where the Bosphorus joins the Black Sea are the Rumelifeneri and the Anadolufeneri Forts the construction of which lasted until 1769. They were first designed by an architect said to be of Anatolian Greek origin and later redesigned by Toussaint in 1783, Lafitte-Clavé in 1785 and finally by Monnier in 1794. However, as they were not found to meet the requirements, batteries were added around them. It is said that one of these batteries was at Fener Burnu and the other at Papaz Burnu.

The Rumelifeneri village is situated on the European side of the Bosphorus, at the point where the straits meet the Black Sea. Located at the entrance to the Black Sea, it is the last settlement of the Bosphorus and takes its name from the lighthouse here. There is very little information on the establishment of the village and its history. The information found in sources concentrate mainly on Rumeli Feneri and the antique column called Öreke Taşı.

In front of the lighthouse there are a few rocks formerly referred to as ‘Simplikades’ and ‘Geant’ and by some writers as ‘Bavonere’. The highest of these rocks, which have been the subject of many legends, has a column piece on it and is therefore referred to as ‘Öreke Taşı’. This column has a partially-effaced inscription in Latin and although it is usually attributed to Pompeus, some writers attribute it to Augustus and more often to Emperor Hadrianus.

At present, in addition to Öreke Taşı and the lighthouse there is a mosque dating to the 19th century in Rumelifeneri village. The mosque is a building with ragstone walls, wooden floors and a hipped roof. The window frames are of brick. Although the Rumelifeneri village is generally known to have been a Greek village, the mosque visible on engravings dated 1817 (Pertusier) and 1854 (Laurens) is a sign that the village had a large Muslim population. Near the mosque there is a small public bath in ruin which is thought to date from the Ottoman period. In addition to a few traditional wooden houses, the village has three historical fountains.

The first is at the centre of the village. Its inscription in Ottoman states the name of Ahmed Ağa. The second fountain is on the way leading from the village centre to the sea and the third on the road from the village to the fort. The inscriptions on the second and third are the same and say that the fountains were commissioned by Gazi Hasan Pasha in 1776-7. This was Cezayirli Hasan Pasha who lived from 1714 to 1790, the famous admiral of the Ottoman fleet, a highly capable man and a real daredevil.

As a matter of  fact, in a document dated 1772 Gazi Hasan Pasha is mentioned as the Minister of War of the Bosphorus Forts and Imperial Captain and also that he was assigned to restore some damaged batteries in the Bosphorus and to replace some of the missing cannons.20 This information leads us to think that Hasan Pasha was also in charge of the Rumelifeneri Fort and that he most probably had water piped from the Bahçeköy dam to the fort and hence had the fountains in the village. Rumelifeneri Fort.

As mentioned above, one of the last forts on the European side, at the location where the Bosphorus opens into the Black Sea, is the Rumelifeneri Fort. It is located north of the village by the same name. It was first built in 1769 by an Ottoman Greek architect whose name is unknown and later restored by Toussaint in 1783, de Lafitte-Clavé in 1785 and finally by Monnier in 1794. No information related to the initial period when the fort was built was found in the research conducted in the Ottoman Archives.

The earliest archive document found is dated 1781 and has information on the winter quarters of the Rumeli and Anadolu forts. This document is an imperial consent to the effect that a total of 10,000 piaster - 5000 piaster to each of the building masters - be paid for the construction of the winter quarters. The second important document referring the fort is one dated 1793 regarding the restoration of the nine forts in the Bosphorus area. We believe that the Rumelifeneri Fort is among these nine. It is also very likely that the restoration work referred to in this document was conducted by Monnier in 1794.

The fort is a stone building measuring approximately 55 m by 70 m situated at the northern tip of a peninsula. It has a rectangular plan with two bevelled corners at the northern facade and is built of volcanic tuff stone except for the brick used in the arch and dome structure. The main wall surrounds a terraced courtyard which has two levels. The eastern and western walls are both topped by an octagonal tower. In the southern section of the courtyard there is a cistern below the courtyard level.

Two hipped-roof buildings are visible on the southern section of the fort’s courtyard in an engraving dated 1817. These buildings have also been indicated on a map dated 1838 in the Topkapı Palace Archives. At present, there is no sign of these buildings on the surface, although excavation might uncover their foundations. The main entrance of the fort is at the south and the sally-port is on the east main wall. The 3.38 m wide main gate is at the centre of the 46m long south facade.

The stairs located within the walls and on either side of the entrance gate provide access to the rampart walk. Although the wall thickness on this side is generally 2.2 m, the part of the wall on either side of the gate is 3.35 m to allow for the stairs. The widest part of the first tower, which we have called Tower A (located on the east side) is 13.78 m. Its exterior side length varies between 5.4 m and 5.9 m. There is a space with an octagonal plan, a height of 5.65 m and covered by a brick dome of 8.97 m in diameter on the lower floor of the tower.

The stairs located within the wall thickness first lead to the rampart walk level and then to the second floor of the tower. The floor of this level which is thought to have been of wood no longer exists. Looking down, one can see the dome of the lower floor. On the top floor, the interior width of the tower is 9.28 m, the wall thickness 2.25 m, the battlement thickness 1.85 m. The B tower on the west is larger than the A tower. Although it was not possible to measure its diameter, the side lengths of the octagon vary between 6.30 m and 6.45 m.

It has been observed that the B tower underwent some changes in the Republic period and that the concrete flooring added has spoiled the original interior arrangement. However, although damaged, the A tower retains its original arrangement. The wall thickness of the north side of the Rumelifeneri Fort is 2.65 m. The height of the walls varies between 5.8 m and 8.5 m depending on the slope of the land. The battlements on the rampart walk level are 0.95 m thick and 0.62 m high. The top parts of the battlements have collapsed. The firing holes below the walls in this section are 1.8m high on the exterior and 2.3m high on the interior side. The said openings are covered by one and a half brick thick arches.

The Council of Ministers has given permission for excavations in 2010 and since then an expert excavation team, Professor Asnu Bilban Yalçın, Byzantium art history expert, is heading, in collaboration with the Culture and Tourism Ministry and Istanbul University has been working on it. During excavations this year some 80 artifacts have been unearthed and this gave a great excitement to people who are interested in archeology.

Because of the excavations, the castle is now closed to visitors although usually the area is not supervised and visitors are free to walk, crossing a fence torn down, along the outer walls of the castle walking along a dangerous path. The climb in my opinion worth it for the fantastic scenery, although we all hope that the castle will soon reopen its doors to the public.

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POYRAZKÖY GENOESE CASTLE

Poyrazköy, Beykoz - İstanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°12'29.0"N 29°07'53.0"E / 41.208056, 29.131389



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Poyrazköy is one of the villages nearest to the Black Sea and is located on the Anatolian side of the Istanbul. From the minaret a bridge leads out to the gun emplacements and ammunition stores and a great view. Although the village is located on top of a hill, there is a road leading to the beach just before the village. Poyrazköy is an excellent place for a break or for shelter while sailing from Istanbul to the Black Sea.

Like every settlement in Turkey, Poyrazköy has a mosque. Located along the sea, a sign hanging over the entrance indicates it was built in 1441 and restored in 1990. According to an elderly man who was sitting on a bench facing the sea, there is a sakal-ı şerif (a strand of the Prophet Muhammad’s beard) inside. Poyraz Harbour Castle The distant between here and the cape of Garipçe, on the opposite shore, is 1690 metres. It rises up to about 30 metres above sea level.

The project for this castle was realised by Baron de Tott, recommended by the King of France, who Sultan Mustafa III had consulted on the subject of strengthening the defence systems of Istanbul. In the course of analyses, draws attention to the remains of a similar two-storey, circular structure with a diameter of 22 metres found in the vicinity of Garipçe Castle. The remains of this structure, encircled by alternately small and large flat brick, arched windows, closely resemble the remains in Garipçe.

The Structural Characteristics of Poyrazköy Castle is built on a rectangular plan stretching out to the west and has broken corners, just like the Garipçe Castle on the opposite shore. Its length is 160 metres, and its width has an average of 35 metres. Its concrete additions show that this castle was given more importance that in Garipçe, and that it was used for a longer duration.

Although the village is located on top of a hill, there is a road leading to the beach just before the village. The beach is not very long however but has some cafes and restaurants nearby. Poyrazköy is naturally protected from the rough winds and currents and is therefore a suitable choice for yachts and boats to anchor therefore during the summertime and weekends. It is quite crowed during these times.

Poyrazköy is one of the villages nearest to the Black Sea and is located on the Anatolian side of the Bosphorus. In order to reach this pretty village you must pass Beykoz and about 4 km later follow the Poyrazköy-Anadolu Feneri signs.

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ANADOLUHISARI MUSEUM

ANADOLUHISARI MUSEUM

Anadoluhisarı, Beykoz - Istanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°04'55.8"N 29°04'01.4"E / 41.082174, 29.067052



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Anadoluhisarı (English: Anatolian Castle) is a fortress located in Istanbul, Turkey on the Anatolian (Asian) side of the Bosporus, which also gives its name to the quarter around it. It was built between 1393 and 1394 by the Ottoman Sultan Yıldırım Bayezid I "The Thunderbolt" as part of his preparations for the Second Ottoman Siege of Constantinople, which took place in 1395. Sultan Bayezid built it on the ruins of a temple of Uranus. Originally named Güzelcehisar (Turkish: Beauteous Castle)

Anadoluhisarı, constructed on an area of 7,000 m2, is situated at the narrowest point with 660 m of the Bosporus strait and next to a creek named Göksu (Ancient Greek: Aretòs). The Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, the second bridge spanning Bosporus, is located just north of the fortress. Anadoluhisarı was erected as a watch fort. It has a 25 m high, quadratic main tower within the walls of an irregular pentagon with five watchtowers at the corners.

Another fortress, Rumelihisarı, was built between 1451 and 1452 by Sultan Mehmed II opposite of Anadoluhisarı on the European side in order to obtain absolute control over the sea traffic of the Bosporus Strait, which was especially vital for the Genoese in Galata, who were allied with the Byzantines and had colonies in the Black Sea such as Caffa, Sinop and Amasra.

There is a masjid in the fortress. It is the oldest Turkish architectural structure built in Istanbul. The fortress was named "Güzelce Hisar" in historical documents. Sultan Mehmed II reinforced the fortress with a 2 m thick wall around it, which had three watchtowers. Some extension buildings like warehouse and houses were added as well. Due to changes made in the past, it no longer retains its original appearance. Following the conquest of Constantinople, it served as a military prison.

Anadolu Hisarı was composed of an inner square castle surrounded by walls on all sides and strengthened by a few towers. The main castle was a quadrangle design and its wall thickness changed between 2 and 3 meters. The three towers were all designed differently with different shapes such as a horseshoe, half round and cylindrical. During that time artillery had not yet been devolved in Europe so it was designed to cope with catapults and similar siege engines.

Anadolu Hisarı was renovated in 1452 by Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror during the construction of Rumeli Fortress on the opposite shore to create a choke point on the Bosphorus during the final and successful blockade on the city. The Hisar was used for some time as a prison and played an important role in stopping the Kazakhs attacking the Bosphorus in the 17th-18th centuries. In the following years, it lost its importance but it is still one of the most beautiful places of Istanbul.

The Turkish Ministry of Culture restored the site in 1991 - 1993. Today, this small fort creates a picturesque appearance with the old wooden houses leaning to its walls and its surroundings. Anadoluhisarı is a museum (historical site). Anadolu Hisari is an open air museum but only outer walls can be visited today.

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WEB SITE : Anadoluhisarı Museum

MORE INFO & CONTACT
E-Mail : anadoluhisarımuzesi@kultur.gov.tr
Phone : +90 212 263 5305

These scripts and photographs are registered under © Copyright 2017, respected writers and photographers from the internet. All Rights Reserved.

AYDOS CASTLE EXCAVATIONS

Sultanbeyli - İstanbul - Turkey

GPS : 40°56'58.9"N 29°15'29.7"E / 40.949694, 29.258250



PHOTOGRAPHS ALBUM

The construction date of Aydos Castle, located in Pendik at a height of 531 m from the sea, is unknown. This Byzantine castle was annexed in the Ottoman territory between 1327 and 1328 by Sultan Orhan I. The ellipse-shaped structure of the Castle that is 120 meters at its widest point and 50 meters in length, completely encloses the summit of the hill. The Castle dating from the Byzantine period is called by locals as Keçikale. It was conquered by Kara Abdurrahman Gazi in the period of Orhan Gazi, in 1328. The maintenance and repair of the castle is continuing.  There is a cistern, whose dimensions are 12 x 7,5 m, within the walls.

AYDOS CASTLE EXCAVATIONS IN 2010

Excavation and workshop activities were conducted at the Aydos Castle located in the territories of the Kartal, Pendik, Sultanbeyli and Samandıra municipalities in the İstanbul Province under the supervision of our Museum between 13.09.2010 and 17.02.2011. The excavations were conducted in accordance of the Regional Board for the Conservation of Cultural and Natural Assets, issued to meet the requirements of the survey, restitution and restoration projects prepared by the Samandıra Municipality, and with the excavation and drilling permission  of the General Directorate of Museums.

The castle is named after the hill called Mount Aydos, on which it is located. The name "Aydos" supposedly comes from "aetos", the Greek word for "eagle". The castle, which covers an area of 26,000 square meters beginning from its outer walls, is located on a 325-meters-high hill and overlooks the region in which it is located, like other castles. In terms of its plan, it is situated in the northeast-southwest direction in accordance with the topography, and it has an oval shape.

Apparently, the castle was built upon the bedrock, and during its construction, the top of the hill was partially flattened. In order to reinforce the defense, it has two different walls, namely the inner and outer walls. The inner defensive wall has six and the outer defensive wall has seven visible bastions. In accordance with the requirements of the restoration project, excavation activities were conducted on both sides of the inner wall, in and around the bastions adjacent to the wall, in the cisterns seen inside the castle and around the gates discovered during excavation activities, on water systems and on one grave.

During excavations conducted in this limited area, important architectural units of the castle and many movable cultural assets were unearthed. The main architectural units unearthed include the bastions adjacent to the inner wall, wall-walk stairs near the bastions, gates, water systems, cisterns, and loopholes.Bastions and wall-walk stairs: All bastions unearthed during excavations are made of local stones and have a semicircular form.

In the outer wall masonry of the inner bastion located southwest of the castle, a well-preserved waffle slab decorated with bricks was discovered. This waffle slab bears the architectural features of the 13th-14th centuries. This bastion appears as the most important bastion of the castle with its size and careful masonry. The eastern part of the castle overlooks a steep valley, and therefore, it is very difficult to climb to the castle using this direction. Thus, the defense needs were limited and there is only one bastion in this part.

During activities carried out around the inner bastion, the well-preserved wall-walk stairs made of local stones and mortar leading to the wall-walk (walkway allowing soldiers to move easily on the higher parts of defensive walls and to defend the castle) were found. Gates: During excavations conducted at the castle, three gates, located south, east and west of the inner wall were unearthed in total. The gate to the southeast was constructed fully as a gate and in a careful manner; there are traces of semicircular defensive towers on both sides of it.

It is known that castles have entrance gates protected by towers on their both sides. Thus, this was probably the main gate to the castle. Apparently, in a later period, the south of this arched gate was closed with stone filling, and it was added to the large bastion south of it. It is known that castle gates were sometimes closed during attacks; thus, this gate supposedly lost its function during or before an attack in order to construct a stronger tower, and it was added to the large bastion.

Furthermore, in the area east of the castle, where the beginning and end of the inner wall intersects, a floor the ground of which is made of Khorasan mortar and bricks, and a wide gate opening surrounded by a marble lintel and remains of columns were unearthed. This should be another important gate to the castle.

Small Finds: Most of the small finds unearthed during excavations consist of glazed and unglazed pottery and remains of pottery dating from the 13th-14th centuries. Other finds include coins dating from the 11th-14th centuries and remains of ceramic ware dating from the 11th-13th centuries. Almost no material dating from the Ottoman Empire was obtained (except a bowl dating from the 19th century).

Grave: During excavations, one grave was discovered southeast of the castle, next to the inner wall. The preliminary inspection by archaeologist-anthropologist Dr. Yasemin Yılmaz revealed that the skeleton belongs to a woman aged between 22 and 29.

Aydos Castle Legend: The Aydos Castle is renowned not only for its remains, but also for its legend mentioned in Ottoman sources. The main characters of this legend narrated in Tacü't Tevarih ("Crown of Histories"), regarded as one of the main sources of the foundation period of the Ottoman Period written by Hoca Sadeddin Efendi, are the daughter of the ruler (tekfur) of the Aydos Castle and Abdurrahman Gazi, a commander of Orhan I known as the conqueror of Aydos.

One night, the daughter of the ruler of the castle fell into a deep well in her dream, and she was rescued by a young man. The daughter of the ruler fell in love with her rescuer. When the castle was besieged by the Ottoman army, the daughter of the ruler, who saw the young man leading the army, recognized that he had been the young man in her dream. This commander leading the siege was Abdurrahman Gazi.

The daughter of the ruler sent a note to the man she loved, and asked him to prepare a withdrawal plan, so that she could let them into the city in the night. So, the Ottoman army moved away, like a retreating army. The people in the castle thought that the Ottoman soldiers had escaped. The commander of the Ottoman army, Abdurrahman Gazi, who returned in the night, was let into the city by the daughter of the ruler, the gates of the castle were opened, and Ottoman soldiers seized the castle.

Assessment
The Aydos Castle should have had an important position in the eastern border of the Byzantine Empire during the Late Byzantine Period, when its territory was shrinking. Between 1326 and 1328, Ottomans seized the present-day Kocaeli peninsula and some of the settlements in the Anatolian side. In that period, the Ottoman-Byzantine border was on the line between Aydos and Pendik. When it was constructed, the castle should have been on a secondary road towards the inner parts of the Kocaeli Peninsula connecting Constantinople to the east.

It is known that the Byzantine State, which had weakened militarily and politically in the 11th century and begun to lose land in Anatolia after the defeat of Manzikert (Malazgirt) in 1071, constituted a defensive network in the whole Anatolia against the Turks. In this period, most of the structures built by the Byzantine Empire in Anatolia were castles. It is thought that the first construction activities for the Aydos Castle also had been carried out in the same period, because of the small finds dating from the 11th-12th centuries.

Additionally, on the basis of current finds and our current knowledge, it can be said that the first phase of the castle had been realized in and around the southeastern gate protected by the towers on its both sides, namely the inner bastion. The outer covering system of the bastion that we call the "Başkale" ("Main Castle") suggests that it had been added in the 13th-14th centuries; in other words, that there had been a new construction activity in the 13th-14th centuries.

The traces on the same bastion reveal that the bastion underwent additions in three different periods. The lack of small finds dating from the Ottoman Period confirms the information provided by the publications of Ottoman historians who stated that the castle had been abandoned shortly after its seizure by the Ottomans. Architectural features and small finds indicate that the castle had reached its peak use period in the 13th and 14th centuries.

LOCATION SATELLITE MAP



WEB SITE : Sultanbeyli Municipality

MORE INFO & CONTACT
E-Mail : belediye@sultanbeyli.bel.tr
Phone : +90 216 564 1300
Fax : +90 216 398 4884

These scripts and photographs are registered under © Copyright 2015, respected writers and photographers from the internet. All Rights Reserved.