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Anadolu Hisarı is a village on the Asian side of the Bosporus in Istanbul, Turkey. It’s located in the Beykoz district and named for a late 14th century Ottoman fortress.
Introduction to Anadolu Hisarı
During the Byzantine period, the area now occupied by Anadolu Hisarı was called Potámion (Ποτάμειον), referring to the two creeks passing through. The Göksu Creek (Göksu Deresi) borders the south side of the village while the Küçüksu Creek (Küçüksu Deresi) is further south. The Küçüksu Pavilion sits between them.
Today, Anadolu Hisarı is a relatively quiet area dominated by Anatolian Fortress. It’s also possible to admire a handful of beautiful Ottoman homes and seaside mansions as well as great views of the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge.
Getting to Anadolu Hisarı
The easiest way to get to Anadolu Hisarı is through Üsküdar. Take a ferry to Üsküdar and walk to the Üsküdar Cami Önü stop (in front of the mosque across the street from the ferry terminal). Hop on pretty much any bus with a number 15 until you reach the Anadolu Hisarı stop. You can also take a dolmuş going to Beykoz and ask the driver to let you out at Anadolu Hisarı – it’s much faster than the bus.
If you’re on the European side, there’s a ferry service on the Istanbul City Ferry Lines (İstanbul Şehir Hatları) from either Arnavutköy or Bebek to Anadolu Hisarı every few hours throughout the day.
Anatolian Fortress
The namesake of the neighborhood is Anatolian Fortress (Anadolu Hisarı), which is the oldest surviving Turkish structure in the city. It was built between 1393 and 1394 by Sultan Bayezid I in preparation for his failed siege of Constantinople in 1395. It was also called Güzelce Fortress (Güzelce Hisar), which literally translates to Beauteous Fortress, and sits on the site of an ancient temple dedicated to Uranos. Admission for foreigners is ₺300 or free for seniors age 65+ and kids under 8 (as of June 2025). It’s open daily except Mondays.
The fortress is strategically situated at the narrowest point of the Bosporus, where it’s only 660 meters (2,170 feet) wide. The original structure was an inner and outer castle with two watchtowers. There was no door and it could only be entered via a suspension bridge extending to the wall of the inner castle. The rectangular inner tower is the tallest at 25 meters.
In the middle of the 15th century, Mehmed II added 3 more towers and reinforced it with walls 2.5 meters thick. He also added a warehouse and living quarters. The walls are 65 meters long from east to west and extend 80 meters from north to south.
To complement Anatolian Fortress, Mehmed II built Rumeli Fortress directly opposite on the European side in 1452. The two fortresses worked together to control traffic on the Bosporus and played a crucial role in the successful conquest of Constantinople in 1453.
After the Fall of Constantinople
After the conquest, however, Anatolian Fortress was rendered obsolete. It served as a military prison and customs house for a few centuries and later fell into disrepair. Structural changes over the years have altered the original appearance, including the demolition of some walls to allow for the construction of the road through the neighborhood. Despite this, the fortress still stands proudly watching over the Bosporus. It was restored between 1991 and 1993 and again in 2021.
Seaside Mansions in Anadolu Hisarı
Anadolu Hisarı is well known for its beautiful seaside mansions. I’ll cover some of the more important ones heading from south to north.
Commodore Remzi Bey Mansion
First, directly in front of Anatolian Fortress is the Commodore Remzi Bey Mansion (Komodor Remzi Bey Yalısı). It was built by Commodore Remzi Bey in 1917 and sold to General Mümtaz Aktay Pasha in the mid-1920s. Erdal İnönü (1926-2007), the son of the second president of Turkey, İsmet İnönü (1884-1973), purchased it in 1972. He had the four-story mansion renovated with reinforced concrete. It was sold to businessman Namık Tanık (b. 1963) in 2017.
Sheikh Talat Efendi Mansion
The Sheikh Talat Efendi Mansion (Şeyh Talat Efendi Yalısı) is next. It was built around 1868 by Sheikh Talatî Efendi, the leader of a local Sufi sect. It included a private semahane where he performed the ritual sema ceremony with his disciples. Today, it hosts a the Gümüş Yalı restaurant.
Manastırlı Ismail Hakkı Efendi Mansion
Next door is the Manastırlı Ismail Hakkı Efendi Mansion (Manastırlı İsmail Hakkı Efendi Yalısı). It was built in the late 19th century by Manastırlı Ismail Hakkı Efendi, who was an educator at different institutions in the city and also gave sermons at important mosques such as Hagia Sophia. He died in the mansion on December 12, 1912.
Rıza Bey Mansion
A few homes north of the ferry terminal is the Rıza Bey Mansion (Rıza Bey Yalısı). It was built by Rıza Bey in the late 19th century and later purchased by Osman Yemni. It was then sold to Professor Üstün Ergüder (b. 1937), the former rector of Boğaziçi University. The ground floor is made of stone while the upper two floors are wood. All the windows are fixed with shutters to protect from moisture and the sun.
Bahriyeli Sedat Bey Mansion
The Bahriyeli Sedat Bey Mansion (Bahriyeli Sedat Bey Yalısı) is next door. It was built in 1840 by Ottoman diplomat Mustafa Reşid Pasha (1800-1858). He was the grandfather of Bahriyeli Sedat Bey, who was in charge of naval affairs under Sultan Abdülhamid II. The Neo-Baroque two-story mansion is divided into a harem and selamlık. Both sections are identical and consists of rooms around a central sofa. Today, the two sections are occupied by different owners. The building is also known as the Magnolia Mansion (Manolyalı Yalı).
Zarif Mustafa Pasha Mansion
Finally, further up the coast is the Zarif Mustafa Pasha Mansion (Zarif Mustafa Paşa Yalısı). It was built by Berberbaşı Mustafa Ağazade in 1820 and in the early 1840s was purchased by Kani Mustafa Bey, the Chief Coffee Server of Sultan Mahmut II. Ottoman statesman Zarif Mustafa Pasha bought it in 1848 and it stayed in his family until 1992.
The mansion was once three times larger than it is today and consisted of a harem, selamlık, and boathouse. It was built on the site of a Byzantine monastery and has a holy spring in the garden. The hamam has been preserved in its original state, and there’s a glass-covered floor with fish as well as an aquarium pulling in water from the Bosporus.
During the Occupation of Constantinople and Turkish War of Independence, the mansion was used to send weapons and ammunition to Anatolia. The harem section was demolished during this period to prevent it from being used by British troops. Only the selamlık exists today.
According to one source, since 2000, the owners of the mansion have hosted foreign dignitaries such as Colin Powell (1937-2021), Madeleine Albright (1937-2022), and Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna Romanova of Russia.
