İshak Castle

İshak Castle, locally known as Ishak Kalesi, lies next to the town of Ortahisar, in the province of Nevşehir in Turkey.

The town of Ortahisar is situated in the Göreme Historical National Park in the Cappadocia region. This area is known for its many rock-cut structures; churches, dwellings, castles, and even entire towns.

The castle of İshak is such a rock-cut structure. Although it doesn't resemble a 'normal' castle with towers, walls and machicolations, it did perform the functions of a castle as it was a fortified place of residence and refuge.

It was entirely carved out of a rock composed out of volcanic tuff. Inside the rock are several tunnels and a couple of small rooms. On the outside of the rock, facing the town, are the remains of a rock-cut stairway, leading up to the top. The rectangular window-like opening high up on the rock, facing the town, was a tomb.

It is said that the castle was named 'İshak Castle' after it was taken from the Karamanids by an Ottoman general; Ishak Pasha, between 1402 and 1436.

Ishak Castle seems to be private property and can not be visited, at least not when I came by. Other similar, but bigger and visitable castles nearby are Ortahisar Castle and Uçhisar Castle.

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