Cemilli Castle

Cemilli Castle, locally known as Cemilli Kalesi or Kaleburnu Kalesi, lies on a spur above the village of the same name, in the province of Mersin in Turkey.

Cemilli Castle is situated in a region called Cilicia, which was the area of an Armenian kingdom between the end of the 11th century until the late 14th century. As with most of the fortifications in this area, neither its medieval name nor its history are known.

I was not able to find any historical info about this castle, only that examination of pottery shards found in the castle were of Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman origins. So probably it was built by the Byzantines, to control a road leading north from the mountains to the sea in the south, and later used by the Muslim conquerors.

What remains at present of Cemilli Castle is a much ruined tower upon the highest point of the castle and parts of the circuit wall at the east side. The west side didn't need fortification, as it was protected by a vertical cliff.

At present Cemilli Castle can freely be visited. The site is however a bit difficult to reach as there is no clear path to the castle. A nicely situated castle ruin.

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