Rumeli Fortress is a neighborhood built on the ancient Phoneus and has gained its name from the castle constructed in 1452 by Fatih Sultan Mehmet (the Conqueror). It is written that in ancient times a Hermes temple was located at the place of the castle and that the neighborhood was known as Hermion.

Mehmet 2^nd, who came to the Ottoman throne after the death of Murat 2^nd.  (Fatih Sultan Mehmet, Ebu’l Feth Sultan Mehmet Han, Conquerer of Constantinople), Byzantine Emperor (Kayser-i Rum) asked Constantine Dragases for a place for the construction of the Rumeli Fortress. As soon as the construction of the fortress started also the restoration of the Anatolian Fortress (Anadolu Hisarı) did start. At the place called Toplar önü heavy guns were placed. The aim of Mehmet 2^nd was to prevent aid coming from the north of the Bosporus to access Istanbul. 2000 bricklayer, 4000 carpenter, 6000 workers were brought from Anatolia and Rumelia and in the spring of 1452 the construction of the Rumeli Fortress had started.

Some sources say that also Sultan Mehmet carried stones, bricks and lime to encourage the workers, and that Grand Vizier Halil Pasha, Sarıca Pasha and Pasha Zağanos did join this effort.

The construction of the Rumeli Fortress was completed in the middle of summer. At the end of construction, Mehmet 2^nd ordered to start the casting of heavy artillery. At the casting of this heavy artillery there were working two engineers with the name of Orban and Muslihiddin. The heavy artillery which wa casted in a very short time, was placed at the Rumeli Fortress and the first target was a Venetian ship trying to cross the Bosporus. The thickness of the walls of the fortress was calculated as 25 steps.

Firuz Aga was appointed commander of the fortress. 400 Janissaries were placed the castle, a bronze cannon ball with a barrel of 8 meter length, circumference of 12 hand spans and able to throw a stone ball of 12 scale pits (approximately 600 kg) weight.

So the transit through the Bosporus was subject to permission and charges. War began on April 6^th 1453. At April 11^th the balls changed places. On April 18^th Prince Islands (Istanbul Islands) were seized. On April 22^nd the Ottoman navy was carried from the land and was launched to the Golden Horn. Byzantium fell on May 29^th 1453. Fatih Sultan Mehmet was 21 years old, and Byantinum which was founded in 667 BC by Megara Byzas was at the age of 2120.

In the 17^th Century there were 105 balls at the Rumeli Fortress.
Evliya Celebi who names the Rumeli Fortress as the "Ancient Fortress" writes that the perimeter of the  Rumeli Fortress was 60000 steps…

The Rumeli Fortress with 250 meters from north to south and 125 meters from east to west has 5 doors. The Mountain Gate, the Dizdar Gate, the Hisarbeçe Gate, the Flood Gate, the Fortress/ Engineer's Gate, the Sarica Pasha Gate, the Zağanos Pasha Tower to the Halil Pasha Tower are the largest of the 17 towers. 

The lime used for the construction of the Hisar was brought from İstinye and Çubukludan the lumber was brought from Izmit and the Ereğli of the Black Sea, the iron from the from the Rumeli Kavağı (Poplar) and Anadolu Kavağı and the Istanbul Islands, and between the stones, flat bricks from the fired tile mines of Kütahya and Iznik were placed. It is related that the mortar was shuffled with the white of the pigeon egg which has a strong glue effect.

The Rumeli Fortress which was damaged at the earthquake in the year 1509 ("Kıyamet-i Sugra"- The Little Apocalypse-) and the fire in the 17^th Century, was repaired immediately after the disasters, was maintained and repaired in the 18^th Century and in 1953 (due to the 500^th anniversary of the conquest of Istanbul) was handled totally. The Sheikh-ül-Islam Molla Fenari al aqsa (15^th Century) is in the fortress. 

The distance between the Rumeli Fortress which in various historical documents is called, Tower-i Jadida, Yenice Hisar, Yeni Hisar (New Castle), Grant (Güzel) Castle and the Boğazkesen Fortress and the Anatolian Fortress built in 1937 by Beyazıt 1^st, is 660 meters. These two Fortress, which where built at rare places of the Bosporus and are examples of classical Ottoman military architecture, have played an important role in the conquest of Istanbul.

It is written that Mehmet the Conqueror had a room at the highest Tower of the Rumeli Fortress and that the Sultan came here to watch over the Bosporus and the city with the bird’s eye view. According to legend, the Rumeli Fortress was constructed in a way that when looking from the top the name “Mehmet” can be read in Kufic letters... 

In the 500^th year of the conquest of Istanbul (1953) the Sarıca Pasha Tower has been converted into a museum, and the balls, guns, swords, arrows, bows, shields, helmets, lamps, flags, battle plans, castle keys and locks coming from the Ottoman Empire until the present had been exhibited here. Teo miniatures of Mehmet 2^nd, showing him at the siege of Belgrade and the Horse Square have been placed on the wall of the tower.  

According to the historian Herodotus (5^th century BC), the Emperor of Persia, son of Hystaspes 1^st Dareios, has watched 700000 soldiers going on the Bosporus Bridge built by Mandrokles of Samos in the year 512 before Christ from these hills. According to some sources the Darius Bridge standing on giant floats connected to each other is the first passage connecting the Bosporus in Asia and Europe. 

As the infantry, cavalry and elephants were crossing the bridge, the Ionian navy consisting of 600 ships and participating in Skythia expedition of Dareios was on its way to the Black Sea. Dareios 1^st watched his military’s transit by establishing wood in craved rocks at the head of the hill where the Rumeli Fortress is placed. Therefore this hill at some times was called Throne of Darius. The Architect Mandrokles let make a table to immortalize this transit, and presented it to the temple of Hera in Samos.  Darius 1^st for the memory of Skythai expedition had placed two marble columns at the exit of the Bosphorus to the Black Sea. These columns written with Assyrian and Greek letters later were used for the construction of the Altar of Artemis and the Temple of Dionysus.

However, in 480 before Christ, Kserkses (Xerxes) the Emperor of Persia built a bridge on the Dardanelles strait and lead its hordes from here in order to encompass Athens. The bridge stretched between the ancient Abydos (Nara Cape) and Sestos (Akbar Cape) cities. Polybios writes that Alexander of Macedonia passes through the Dardanelles strait from the same point in 364.

There is one more bridge, which was constructed on the Bosporus. Heraclius 1^st, Byzantine emperor (7^th century), had aligned his boats between the two sides of the Bosporus side by side and had connected them and went from the Asian side to the European side on horse. It is said that this passing was punctuated at the Rumeli Fortress.

A bridge between the Rumeli Fortress and the Anatolian Fortress was intended to be built during the period of Abdülhamit 2^nd. According to the draft, the Hamidiye Bridge was to be decorated with tiles and a gilded dome embroidered, was to be protected by rotating towers equipped on the cannonballs, and was to be lightened with lanterns.

The bridge, which was intended to be passed on foot, by car or train could not be built, because Abdülhamit 2^nd did not confirm the construction of the bridge. During the same period a Tünel- Bahri (Sea Tunnel) design came on the agenda but the Sultan was again against this proposal.

The district of Rumeli Fortress was also known as Dervis Durmuş Dede, saints and the Rocks during Ottoman. It is said, that Durmus Dede lived in the 17^th century and was a saint, who could feel storms in advance and thus was showing the way to the sailors.

However, at the place where in the 17^th century the marksman Sıdkı Mehmet Pasa Sıdkı had constructed the Rocks (Clerk), Masjid-site, during the Byzantine period there was a sacred spring and cistern. The Kemaleddin Haji Mosque (18^th Century), Ali Pertev Mosque (18^th century), Zeynep Hatun Fountain (19^th century), the Egyptian Yusuf Pasha Mansion (19^th century) Oduncubaşı Mansion (19^th century) Başokçu Mansion (19^th century) are other monumental structures in the district that may be considered. 

The Asiyan Museum (Tevfik Fikret House), is the main mansion in the district. The Last Caliph Abdulmecid Efendi’ s "Fog" table and handwritings of Abdülhak Hamid are present in this museum. The writings were given as a gift by Lucienne, the wife of Abdülhak Hamid. In the Asiyan which is also known as the Edebiyat-I Cedide Museum, poems and pictures of Tevfik Fikret and and art of the daughter of Hungarian Musikinaş Osman Pasha, poet Nigar Hanim were also exhibited. 

Rumeli Fortress through the eyes of Evliya Celebi: 

"It is at the seashore on a narrowly place on rocks without gardens and vineyards with layers up to 1060 stores. There are three Mosques, 11 al- aqsa, seven school-i sınman, one Turkish bath, 200 shops, a lodge on the name of Durmuş Dede Tekke, up to seven Greek houses. Ayan and his gentry are the owner of the mansion and on cold winter days they lived in Istanbul. There are no Jews, taverns or fermented millet drink houses. Its folk are trading as fisher, the castle guards with horses, boats and poets.

There are cherry vineyards on the mountains and the name of Fortress cherry is famous in Greek, Arabic and Persia; in the land of Persia it is called Greek Gulnar, and two cherries were sold for two hammered Riyals. The  devil flow flowing in front of the Rumeli Fortress streams very wild, and takes a ship to the Kandilli Cape within one eye movement." 

Rumeli Fortress’ famous fruits. 

Cherry, Sour Cherry, Strawberry, Grape. 

Source: 
Jack Deleon (Bogazici Travel Guide - September 2003)