Yaka Castle

Yaka Castle, locally known as Yaka Kalesi or less commonly as Gudübes Kalesi, lies on a hillock in the fields east of the village of Dikilitaş, in the province of Mersin in Turkey.

Yaka 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.

Deduced from the architectural remains, the castle dates back to the 13th century. Its layout; rectangular with round corner towers, suggests a Crusader design as this was unknown in Armenian military architecture. A design it shares with Karafrenk Castle and, more nearby, the castles of Tumil and Kütüklü.

It appears to have served as a garrison fort controlling the strategic coastal road between the cities of Mersin and Tarsus and was probably given as a fief by the Armenians to the Knights Hospitaller. The castle may have had intervisibility with Tumil Castle to the southwest.

At present Yaka Castle can freely be visited. A nice site.

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