Anacık Castle

Anacık Castle, locally known as Anacık Kalesi, lies in the village of the same name, in the province of Kahramanmaraş in Turkey.

The castle is situated in a region called Cilicia, which was part of an Armenian kingdom from the late 11th century to the late 14th century. Like most fortifications in this area, neither its medieval name nor its history is known.

Anacık Castle is more like a large fortified estate house than a frontier fortification. It is an Armenian construction, most likely built in the late 12th or 13th century. Located in the foothills of the Taurus mountain range, it overlooks farmland and the modern Aslantaş reservoir. It probably served as the center of an agricultural settlement, housing the local noble and his family, while also protecting one of the routes heading north toward Andırın and further to Göksun, linking Cilicia with central Anatolia.

The castle is rectangular, with four solid round corner towers. The south wall features an entrance flanked by two slender turrets, while the north side has a projecting tower. In the niche above the entrance, there would have been a dedicatory inscription. On the ground floor, there is a large pointed barrel-vaulted hall, with, presumably, the remains of a small chapel at its east end and a staircase leading to the upper floor at its west end. The upper part of the structure has largely disappeared. Although longer, its design resembles other castles in the region built by the Rubenids, an important Armenian family, like the both Sinaps, one near Lampron and the other near Çandır.

Anacık Castle is now situated on the premises of a private residence, but if you ask nicely, you might be allowed in, just like I was. It's a beautiful little castle, and I particularly loved the barrel-vaulted hall.

Gallery