Yedikule Dungeons

Istanbul, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, stood against the incursions of many different nations from the Huns to the Russians for over a thousand years. The main element of this relentless defense was undoubtedly the fortification system, which protected the city from attacks that came both from land and sea.

Perhaps one of the most interesting points of the city walls on land that surrounded old Istanbul, from the Sea of Marmara to the Gate of Ayvansaray for kilometers, is Yedikule. It gets its name from its seven towers, which are lined up to form approximately pentagons with thick walls between them.

4 of these towers were built during the Byzantine period and 3 of them during the Ottoman Empire period. Another interesting feature of this location, surrounded by the Yedikule Gate and the nearby Altınkapı, is that it houses another location known as the Yedikule Dungeons.

It is located on the borders of Fatih district. Yedikule Dungeons, located in the south of Istanbul at a point where the Sea of Marmara can be seen, is the location formed by the towers at the entrance to the interior parts of Yedikule. In general, the interior of the fortress and the dungeons can be seen. It may seem frightening to some; in Ottoman times, prisoners stayed therein and they were tortured. Some traces, such as foreign-language writings and anchors drawn on the walls by prisoners, stand out.

Yedikule dungeons have a dark ambience in general despite some lighted areas.

As the walls can be climbed, you can also view the area and the sea outside. As part of the trip, the places where prisoners were executed in the immediate vicinity and the cavity called Kanlı Kuyu (the bloody well) can also be seen.