Anadoluhisari

Anadoluhisar Castle, sometimes known simply as Anadoluhisar, is located in the Beykoz neighborhood of Istanbul, on the Asian side of the Bosphorus Strait in Turkey's province of Istanbul.

The name Anadoluhisar is derived from the Anatolian (Anadolu-) fortress (-hisar). The Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I commissioned the construction of the fortress between 1393 and 1394 as part of his preparations for an assault on the then-Byzantine capital of Constantinople. The Ottomans had to deal with other concerns inside their realms, therefore Bayezid's intentions for a siege were thwarted. It was constructed in the narrowest point of the Bosphorus, at the mouth of the Göksu stream.

In the mid-15th century, Sultan Mehmed II reinforced the castle with a 2-meter-thick wall and Sultan Mehmed II expanded the castle in the mid-15th century, adding a 2-meter-thick wall and three additional watchtowers to form a bailey, as well as a storehouse and residence rooms. Mehmed II erected a sibling fortress to Anadoluhisar across the Bosphorus named Rumelihisar Castle in 1452 as part of his intentions to undertake a second military effort to seize Constantinople. In 1453, the two fortresses collaborated to block all marine movement on the Bosphorus, assisting the Ottomans in their siege of Constantinople. These fortresses fulfilled the same purpose as the Dardanelles Strait strongholds of imenlik and Kilitbahir.

Anadoluhisar Castle is currently open to the public for free tours. It is located on a road that runs directly through the bailey. Unfortunately, the interior castle is constantly locked and can only be viewed from the outside. A lovely castle in a charming area.

Location: Anadolu Hisarı, 34810 Beykoz/İstanbul