European Fortress Rumeli Hisari
Consequently, before the siege Sultan Mehmet ordered the construction of a fortress which, assisted by the fortress built earlier on the Asian side by one of his ancestors, would be able to stop all the sea traffic down the Bosphorus. Rumeli Hisari (The European Fortress) was built in 1452 within an incredibly short four months. This largest and strongest fortress of the Middle Ages lost its strategic importance after the conquest of Istanbul by the Turks.
European Fortress general view
Rumeli Hisari, regarded as a classical example of fortification architecture, was restored in the 1950's and opened to the public as a museum. Also, the amphitheatre inside the walls is being used for staging plays and shows especially during the festival of arts held annually in Istanbul. Rumeli Hisari as a whole can best be seen from the Asian coast of from a boat cruising the Bosphorus.
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