Rumelifeneri (named after the lighthouse

Rumeli Feneri Rumeli Feneri, also Türkeli Feneri, a historical lighthouse still in use, is located on the European side of the Bosporus Strait's Black Sea entrance in Istanbul. Etymology Rumeli (or Rumelia) is a former name for the Ottoman territories wes ...

) is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of

Sarıyer Sarıyer () is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Istanbul Province, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 177 km2 and its population is 350,454 (2022). It is on the northeastern part of Istanbul's European side. Sarıyer al ...

Istanbul Province Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

. Its population is 4,337 (2022).

Geography

Rumelifeneri is a coastal village located at the extreme northwest (i.e.,

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

an side) of the

Bosphorous The Bosporus or Bosphorus Strait ( ; , colloquially ) is a natural strait and an internationally significant waterway located in Istanbul, Turkey. The Bosporus connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and forms one of the continental b ...

Strait. It is a suburb of

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

. The distance to Sarıyer is and to the center of Greater Istanbul is about .

History

Archaeological evidence in the area of the village dates back to the late

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

era, although a now lost Greek inscription dating to the 3rd century CE was formerly on display at the Greek cemetery of the village. The village is named after a local lighthouse, which is attested in

portolan Portolan charts are nautical charts, first made in the 13th century in the Mediterranean basin and later expanded to include other regions. The word ''portolan'' comes from the Italian ''portolano'', meaning "related to ports or harbors", and wh ...

s and literary sources since at least the 15th century. Petrus Gyllius, who visited it in the mid-16th century, described it as octagonal, and ascribed to it a Byzantine origin. Its Greek inhabitants named it ''Phanarion'' (Φανάριον, "lighthouse"), often in the diminutive ''Phanarakion'' (Φαναράκιον). In 1768, a fortress was built by a Greek engineer for the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

(Rumeli Fener Kalesi), possibly on older foundations. It is now in ruins. Rumelifeneri was involved was the rebellion of

Kabakçı Mustafa Kabakçı Mustafa ( – 14 July 1808) was a rebel leader who caused the delay of Ottoman reformation in the early 19th century. Yamaks and Kabakçı Yamaks were a special class of soldiers who were responsible in defending Bosphorous against Co ...

.A page about Istanbul Vicinity
/ref> Before

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, the village was inhabited by Greeks—some 900 inhabitants in the late 19th century—and had a church dedicated to St. George (possibly built on a Byzantine predecessor), and the ''

hagiasma A holy well or sacred spring is a well, spring or small pool of water revered either in a Christian or pagan context, sometimes both. The water of holy wells is often thought to have healing qualities, through the numinous presence of its guardi ...

'' (sacred well) known as ''tis Tsirpinas'' (της Τσίρπινας).

Economy

Rumelifeneri is a fishermen's village. But it is very close to Istanbul, which makes the village a place of

seafood Seafood is any form of Marine life, sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including Fish as food, fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of Mollusca, molluscs (e.g., bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters, and mussel ...

restaurants specialized for daily excursion of Istanbul citizens.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rumelifeneri, Sariyer Neighbourhoods of Sarıyer Fishing communities in Turkey Populated coastal places in Turkey Bosphorus

Geography

History

Economy

See also

References