Kuzucubelen Castle

Kuzucubelen Castle, locally known as Kuzucubelen Kalesi or less commonly as Taş Kale, lies near the edge of an elevated plateau above the village of the same name, in the province of Mersin in Turkey.

The 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.

Based on architectural analysis, Kuzucubelen Castle is an Armenian construction built during the rule of the Hethumid dynasty of the kingdom, between 1226 and 1341. Although called a castle, it was essentially just a passive watch post and so a purely military construction. It guarded a strategic north-south route from Arslanköy in the Taurus Mountains to the Mediterranean coastline.

At present Kuzucubelen Castle can freely be visited, although you will have to walk through farmland. A nice small ruin.

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