Yedikule Fortress

Depressing at first sight, the building is more of the old times when the Ottomans conquered Istanbul. Yedikule fortress is known as the castle of seven towers and was a prison and many people have died behind its walls.

This is part of Jason Goodwin's book - Tree of the Janissaries, which in a few lines gives a detailed description of Yedikule. This is a remarkable palace, located near the shores of the Marmara Sea in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul.

Yedikule is most impressive with a walk from the pier and along the pedestrian promenade along the walls. It was built by Mehmed II, shortly after Constantinople. The fortress has been built at a strategic location in one of the six entrances in Istanbul.

Once, during the Roman Empire on the road, which today reaches Yedikule passed emperors that robbed people's laurels along with other successful battles. The remains of this ancient Roman road can still be seen.

The victorious emperor’s route ends with the so-called Golden Gate, which in those centuries was the main entrance to the Roman settlement. Today, the Golden Gate, or put another way - the Arc de Triomphe is located at the opposite side of Yedikule. They say it stood in this place long before the Emperor Theodosius rose the urban retaining walls. This port has reached a height of 15 meters and was lined with gold, hence the name.

In Roman times the castle shone with gold and bronze statues in the marble towers. Today there are seven towers in Yedikule, hence the second name of the fortress, which is a unique blend of work of Byzantine and then later the Turkish military engineers.