Kalebalta Castle

Kalebalta Castle, locally known as Kalebalta Kalesi, lies above the village of the same name, in the province of Aksaray in Turkey.

When Kalebalta Castle was built is unknown. Surface finds showed that the castle was inhabited during Byzantine and later, in the 13th century, during Seljuk times. During the 14th century Mongol invasions of Timur in the area, the castle was called "Eyüb Hisar / Eyüphisar". Nothing more is known about its history.

The castle was built on a hill consisting of granite blocks. Not much remains at present; only a curved wall in the northwest and some small wall fragments of what I presume to have been the west wall. Apparently villagers have used the castle ruins as a source of free building materials for their own houses.

Kalebalta Castle is freely accessible. To get to the castle, you'll have to go through the grounds of a quarry. A friendly request got me permission. Also, be prepared to scramble up a very steep hillside. Just a small ruin, so not very interesting. But I liked the way the remaining wall seems to have been glued to the rocks and just the natural beauty of the site.

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