Yedikule Fortress
| Yedikule Fortress | |
|---|---|
| Fatih, Istanbul, Turkey | |
Aerial photograph of Yedikule Fortress | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Castle |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 40°59′36″N 28°55′23″E / 40.9933525°N 28.923093°E |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1458 |
| Built by | Mehmed II |
Yedikule Fortress (Turkish: Yedikule Hisarı or Yedikule Zindanları; meaning "Fortress of the Seven Towers") is a fortified historic structure located in the Yedikule neighbourhood of Fatih, in Istanbul, Turkey.
Built in 1458 on the commission of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, the seven-tower complex was created by adding three new towers and fully enclosing a section of the ancient Walls of Constantinople, including the two twin towers that originally constituted the triumphal Golden Gate (Turkish: Altınkapı) built by Roman Emperors Theodosius I and Theodosius II.
The fortress came to be known as the home of a formidable royal dungeon that housed notable figures throughout its history, and the associated intrigue captured the public's imagination over the centuries in various legends, stories, and the arts.