Yedikule Fortress

About

Yedikule Fortress was built in the 15th century on the orders of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II as the official treasury fort of the Empire. The core of the fortress is the two-towered “Golden Gate” built by the Roman Emperors Theodosius I and Theodosius I 1000 years prior as part of the ancient Walls of Constantinople. Under Sultan Mehmed II, each of the fortress’ seven towers was dedicated to the storage of precious goods, documents, armoury, coins, and golden and silver ingots. In the 16th century, the treasury was transferred to Topkapı Palace, and Yedikule Fortress became a prison for prestigious captives. Today, the largely unfurnished and un-signposted fortress offers a great look at medieval Ottoman architecture through its steep stairs and crenelated battlements. But step into the gaping maw of one of the towers, and the air takes a turn for the sinister, as these dark recesses were where political prisoners were kept in isolation.