Rumelifeneri is a neighbourhood of Sariyer. It is situated on the northern part of Bosphorus. Anadolufeneri is on the opposite side. There are some evidence that the ancient name of the village was Panion. The village welcomes you with a lovely view with trees and animals. When you walk for a few minutes, you can also sea the beautiful Bosphorus view.
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| General view |
When it is written as "Anadolu Feneri", it refers to the lighthouse. It is situated on the spot that Bosphorus and Black Sea intersect. It is two miles away from Anadolu Feneri. Inside the lighthouse is the tomb of Sari Saltuk Dede, who is a legendary folk hero. The lighthouse used to be operated with gas oil and acetylene, but today it is operated with electricity. It began to be operated together with Anadolu Feneri by the French in 1856. After capitulations ended, the operation was handed to Turks.
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| Rumeli Feneri |
Oreke Rocks
Oreke Rocks, or Roke (or Hera) are five massive rocks on the coast of Rumeli Feneri. Today the spaces between the rocks are filled for the harbour. Byzantines used to call these rocks "Kyanaeis" and "Symplegades". On the top of the biggest rock was the Pompeus Column, or Nisangah Stone (the marking stone). You can still see the ruins from the right angle. (We had hardship to catch a close capture.)
The inscriptions on the column says that it was erected as a dedication to Tiberius and that the seamen made sacrifices for gods in order to be safe from the hazards at the sea. After Ottomans got hold of the village, they also renamed the rock many times. The rocks were also mentions in the famous Travel Book of Evliya Celebi and the Atlas of Ali Macar Reis, which is in the Topkapi Palace Museum Library.
The Castle of Rumeli Feneri
The Castle of Rumeli Feneri is from 17th century. It has an arched gate at the entrance. It had two towers and was rebuilt at the reign of Murat II. Around 300 was living there then. In the early times of republic, it was used as a police station. Today it is unfortunately almost idle. I hope the municipality will take care of this impressive artifact.
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| Bosphorus view from inside the castle |
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| The panaromic view of the castle |
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| The entrance and the gate of the castle |
Transportation in Rumeli Feneri
You can easily go to Rumeli Feneri with public transport. There are buses that use the coastal road. The route is rather scenic. However, the traffic jam can be very heavy on weekends. Then you can try the second option: Go to Haciosman metro stop and enter Haciosman bus terminal. The Rumeli Feneri bus operates half-hourly.
The village is small and there is almost no places to stay, but if you like you can stay around. Sariyer center, Tarabya, Yenikoy, and other places on the Bosphorus coast is good. You can also stay on the Anatolian side of the Bosphorus. There are steamships that operate a couple of times in the day. You can add a Boshorus sea tour to your Istanbul travel. Check this link:
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| There are lots of lovely cats and dogs (and birds, cows, horses) around Rumelihisari. |
