Klida Castle

Klida Castle, locally known as Klida or Kilye Kalesi, lies east of the town of Vakfıkebir, in the province of Trabzon in Turkey.

Nothing is known about the history of Klida Castle. It is thought to have been just a small fortified watch post. It was first mentioned by the 17th century Ottoman explorer Evliya Çelebi. He described it as an "old Genoese castle" and called it "Kilita". If it was indeed built by the Genoese, it would date back to the 13th century.

The name of the castle is probably derived from the Gerida stream nearby, as it was also known as Gelida Kale before. It is situated on a small basaltic cliff jutting out into the sea.

Around 2009 the castle ruin was consolidated in such a way that it is not possible anymore to see what is original and what is modern. In my opinion, this has robbed the ruin of its historical charm.

Klida Castle is freely accessible. The small castle is not much to look at, but its seaside location is nice.

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