Mavga Castle

Mavga Castle

Mavga Castle, locally known as Mavga Kalesi (sometimes also spelled as Maghva), lies on a mountain north of the village of Topluca, in the province of Mersin in Turkey.

When Mavga Castle was built is unknown. It is possible that it was already in use during Byzantine times. Some sources even suggest since Hittite times (between 17th to 12th century BC). For both suggestions, no evidence has been found.

What has been found in the castle is an Arabic plaque inscribed with the name of Kayqubad I, a Seljuk Sultan of the Sultanate of Rûm, who ruled from 1220 to 1237. Because the plaque is thought to date back to 1230 and the one remaining round tower is also of Seljuk construction, some sources have concluded that the castle itself was built by Kayqubad.

One source stated that the castle, here known as Maghvaberd, was built by the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia in 1190. This might have some credibility, as the name "Maghva" may derive from the Armenian word "megava", meaning "bee's" and "-berd" means "fortress" in Armenian. According to this source the castle was taken and destroyed by the Seljuks in 1368.

Mavga Castle is a so-called castle-mountain; a fortification where most of the spaces (rooms, passageways, shelters, and the like) are carved out of the rock itself. These kinds of castles mostly have no built-up defenses like walls or towers, as the isolation of the mountain itself provides safety.

The castle is built on an isolated pinnacle of limestone rock looking out over the plain far below. In an old book the entrance to the castle was described as follows: "The only approach is by a shelf of limestone rock, narrowing to a width of about 5 m. At the narrowest point of the approach a gap is cut some 2 m across and 2.5 m deep. On either side of the shelf at this point are sheer drops of 245 m. The entrance consisted of a tower commanding the approach and a bent entrance into a vaulted room. The arched doorway has rosettes carved on either side."  Another old source tells there used to be a kind of bastion with a door, on the castle side of the aforementioned gap, which has disappeared today.

Mavga Castle may be freely accessible, but there is no distinguishable path to it from the nearest road. And although I did try; I was not able to find safe access into the castle. Too bad, I would have liked to explore the rooms and find the Seljuk plaque.

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Mavga Castle

Mavga Castle

Mavga Castle, locally known as Mavga Kalesi (sometimes also spelled as Maghva), lies on a mountain north of the village of Topluca, in the province of Mersin in Turkey.

When Mavga Castle was built is unknown. It is possible that it was already in use during Byzantine times. Some sources even suggest since Hittite times (between 17th to 12th century BC). For both suggestions, no evidence has been found.

What has been found in the castle is an Arabic plaque inscribed with the name of Kayqubad I, a Seljuk Sultan of the Sultanate of Rûm, who ruled from 1220 to 1237. Because the plaque is thought to date back to 1230 and the one remaining round tower is also of Seljuk construction, some sources have concluded that the castle itself was built by Kayqubad.

One source stated that the castle, here known as Maghvaberd, was built by the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia in 1190. This might have some credibility, as the name "Maghva" may derive from the Armenian word "megava", meaning "bee's" and "-berd" means "fortress" in Armenian. According to this source the castle was taken and destroyed by the Seljuks in 1368.

Mavga Castle is a so-called castle-mountain; a fortification where most of the spaces (rooms, passageways, shelters, and the like) are carved out of the rock itself. These kinds of castles mostly have no built-up defenses like walls or towers, as the isolation of the mountain itself provides safety.

The castle is built on an isolated pinnacle of limestone rock looking out over the plain far below. In an old book the entrance to the castle was described as follows: "The only approach is by a shelf of limestone rock, narrowing to a width of about 5 m. At the narrowest point of the approach a gap is cut some 2 m across and 2.5 m deep. On either side of the shelf at this point are sheer drops of 245 m. The entrance consisted of a tower commanding the approach and a bent entrance into a vaulted room. The arched doorway has rosettes carved on either side."  Another old source tells there used to be a kind of bastion with a door, on the castle side of the aforementioned gap, which has disappeared today.

Mavga Castle may be freely accessible, but there is no distinguishable path to it from the nearest road. And although I did try; I was not able to find safe access into the castle. Too bad, I would have liked to explore the rooms and find the Seljuk plaque.

Gallery

Details
Hits: 953