Sarıseki Castle

Sarıseki Castle

Sarıseki Castle, locally known as Sarıseki Kalesi, lies on a rocky hill south of the village of the same name, in the province of Hatay in Turkey.

Sarıseki Castle was probably first built by the Knights Templar in their effort to secure the south end of the Nur Mountains, which were historically known as the Amanus Mountains. Although there may have been a previous fortification here since Antiquity. The castle is situated only about one kilometer from the sea. It controlled a small passage, known as The Portella, situated between it and the seafront below.

This Portella was the southern entrance to the Cilician plain. On a rock between the passage and the sea probably stood a tower which served as a toll station. It may have been connected to the castle by a wall. Of this possible tower only a very small fragment remains. That fragment is called the Pillar of Jonah (Yunus Sütunu in Turkish) as religion has it that this was the spot where the prophet Jonah was released after having been swallowed by a whale. More likely is it that the fragment is actually a remnant of a Roman triumphal arch.

Between 1135 and 1150 it is likely that the castle was occupied once by the Armenian Prince Thoros II and probably twice by the Byzantines. Around 1154 Reginald of Antioch took control of the forts in this region and returned them to their original owners. The Templars then held Sarıseki continuously until 1266 when the Mamluk Sultan Baibars captured it by siege and massacred the occupants.

The fabric of the present castle ruin mostly dates back to the time of the Ottomans, who rebuilt it following the Crusader plan. The inscription above the entrance door states that the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent ordered the building of this castle on March 3, 1546.

Sarıseki Castle is situated on the grounds of an abandoned military complex, which was freely accessible when I visited. The castle is quite hidden behind the trees and its interior is very much overgrown. But for me that makes it feel more like a discovery, so I like this castle a lot.

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Sarıseki Castle

Sarıseki Castle

Sarıseki Castle, locally known as Sarıseki Kalesi, lies on a rocky hill south of the village of the same name, in the province of Hatay in Turkey.

Sarıseki Castle was probably first built by the Knights Templar in their effort to secure the south end of the Nur Mountains, which were historically known as the Amanus Mountains. Although there may have been a previous fortification here since Antiquity. The castle is situated only about one kilometer from the sea. It controlled a small passage, known as The Portella, situated between it and the seafront below.

This Portella was the southern entrance to the Cilician plain. On a rock between the passage and the sea probably stood a tower which served as a toll station. It may have been connected to the castle by a wall. Of this possible tower only a very small fragment remains. That fragment is called the Pillar of Jonah (Yunus Sütunu in Turkish) as religion has it that this was the spot where the prophet Jonah was released after having been swallowed by a whale. More likely is it that the fragment is actually a remnant of a Roman triumphal arch.

Between 1135 and 1150 it is likely that the castle was occupied once by the Armenian Prince Thoros II and probably twice by the Byzantines. Around 1154 Reginald of Antioch took control of the forts in this region and returned them to their original owners. The Templars then held Sarıseki continuously until 1266 when the Mamluk Sultan Baibars captured it by siege and massacred the occupants.

The fabric of the present castle ruin mostly dates back to the time of the Ottomans, who rebuilt it following the Crusader plan. The inscription above the entrance door states that the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent ordered the building of this castle on March 3, 1546.

Sarıseki Castle is situated on the grounds of an abandoned military complex, which was freely accessible when I visited. The castle is quite hidden behind the trees and its interior is very much overgrown. But for me that makes it feel more like a discovery, so I like this castle a lot.

Gallery

Details
Hits: 1265