Mamure Castle

Mamure Castle, locally known as Mamure Kalesi, lies at the beach east of the town of Anamur in the province of Mersin in Turkey.

Mamure Castle is situated next to the site of the antique city of Anemurium. A city that prospered from the 4th century BC until the mid 7th century, when it was abandoned due to increasing incursions of Arab forces.

The first fortification at this site may well have been a Roman fort, as archaeological research showed a 3rd century Roman settlement at the site of the present castle.

There also probably was already a castle here in 1191, as Philip II, King of France, is said to have halted here on his way back to France from the Third Crusade.

In 1225 the castle at this site was taken by the Seljuks from the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, who had briefly controlled the area. In 1284, when it was again briefly under Armenian control, it came into the possession of the Lusignan kingdom of Cyprus, who used it as a bridgehead to the Anatolian mainland.

Between 1300 and 1308 Mamure castle was conquered by the Karamanids under Bedreddin Mahmud Bey. They completely rebuilt the castle and built the small mosque inside the castle. From then on the castle was named Mamure, meaning prosperous. In 1363 the castle was again retaken by the Cypriots. In 1496 the castle was seized by the Ottoman Empire who, during the 15th and 16th century, carried out smaller restorations.

In 1878, after the British occupied Cyprus, the Ottomans reinforced Mamure Castle. It remained garrisoned by the Ottomans until the end of World War I.

Mamure Castle consists of 3 separate defensible areas; the main castle on the west end, a landward bailey and a seaward bailey.

Mamure Castle can be visited for a small fee. A great castle with lots of hallways and stairs.

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