Kızkalesi (castle): Difference between revisions

Kızkalesi
Kızkalesi
Near Kızkalesi, Erdemli; Mersin Province
	Kızkalesi
	Kızkalesi
Coordinates	36°27′23″N 34°08′53″E / 36.45639°N 34.14806°E
Type	Island castle
Site information
Open to; the public	Yes
Condition	Partially standing
Site history
Built by	Byzantine Empire; Cilician Kingdom of Armenia
Materials	Stone

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Kızkalesi (from Turkish: "Maiden's Castle", also known as Deniz kalesi) is an island castle situated on a small island in Mersin Province of Turkey.

Geography

The ancient name of the island was Crambusa (Greek: Γραμβούσσα, Gramvoussa).^[1] At 36°27′23″N 34°08′53″E / 36.45639°N 34.14806°E / 36.45639; 34.14806 it is about 300 metres (980 ft) off shore in the Mediterranean Sea. The total area of the island is about 15,000 square metres (160,000 sq ft) and the castle covers most of this area. Kızkalesi, the town facing the island in the main land which shares the same name as the island is 23 kilometres (14 mi) to Erdemli (district center) and 60 kilometres (37 mi) to Mersin (province center).

History

According to Strabo, the island was used by the pirates in the ancient age. But the castle was probably built by Alexios I Komnenos of the Byzantine Empire after the First Crusade.^[2] It was extensively rebuilt in the 13th century by Leo I and at least one subsequent monarch of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia.^[3] Archaeological surveys published in 1982 and 1987 found that the original Byzantine plan survives primarily at the south with the characteristic square towers. The Armenians rebuilt the north and west sides of the castle with their distinctive rusticated ashlar masonry (not spolia from the late antique city) and round towers. They also put new facing stone on most of the Greek construction. Two Armenian inscriptions reportedly mention the rebuilding of this site by King Leo I (1206) and King Het‛um I (1251).^[4] The Armenians also built a barrel vaulted chapel inside the fort.^[5] The island was once connected to the mainland fort, Corycus castle, by a breakwater. The Armenians called this fortress Gorygos (Կոռիկոս).In the 14th century the Cilician Kingdom was on the verge of collapse and in 1360 Peter I of Cyprus captured the island at the request of the inhabitants. The castle was captured by İbrahim II of Karaman of the Karamanids, an Anatolian beylik, in 1448,^[6] and by Gedik Ahmet Pasha of the Ottoman Empire in 1471. The name Gorygos was changed to Kızkalesi.

Description

The total length of the rampart is 192 metres (630 ft). The south and the west walls are perpendicular to each other. The north and east sides are surrounded by a curved rampart.

The main gate is on the north side and there is a minor gate and a gallery on the west side. There are 8 bastions each with a unique shape.^[3] An extensive photographic survey with plans of the two fortress at Kızkalesi was made between 1973 and 1981.^[7]

Legend of Kızkalesi

According to the legend of Kızkalesi, a fortune teller informs the king that his beautiful daughter will be poisoned by a snake. He adds that even the king is unable to change her fate. Shocked by the fortune teller's words, the king tries to save the princess by building a castle on an island where no snakes live. He sends his daughter to live in the castle. But a snake hides in a grape basket sent from the mainland and poisons the princess.^[1] This legend is not unique to Kızkalesi and some other localities in Turkey share the same story.

References

^ ^a ^b Yumuktepe page by Şahin Özkan (in Turkish)
^ Castles page
^ ^a ^b Mersin Valiliği: Mersin Ören Yerleri, ISBN 978-975-585-787-9. (in Turkish)
^ Edwards, Robert W. (1987). The Fortifications of Armenian Cilicia: Dumbarton Oaks Studies XXIII. Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University. pp. 161–67, 284, pls.123a-128b, 296b – 296c. ISBN 0-88402-163-7.
^ Edwards, Robert W., “Ecclesiastical Architecture in the Fortifications of Armenian Cilicia: First Report, Dumbarton Oaks Papers 36, 1982, pp.173-75, pls.38-42.
^ Kızkalesi mayor's page Archived 2013-02-28 at the Wayback Machine(in Turkish)
^ The survey was conducted under the auspices of the University of California at Berkeley.[1]

External links

Media related to Sea castle of Korykos at Wikimedia Commons

[Yumuktepe-1] Yumuktepe page by Şahin Özkan (in Turkish)

[2] Castles page

[Mersin-3] Mersin Valiliği: Mersin Ören Yerleri, ISBN 978-975-585-787-9. (in Turkish)

[edwards-4] Edwards, Robert W. (1987). The Fortifications of Armenian Cilicia: Dumbarton Oaks Studies XXIII. Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University. pp. 161–67, 284, pls.123a-128b, 296b – 296c. ISBN 0-88402-163-7.

[5] Edwards, Robert W., “Ecclesiastical Architecture in the Fortifications of Armenian Cilicia: First Report, Dumbarton Oaks Papers 36, 1982, pp.173-75, pls.38-42.

[6] Kızkalesi mayor's page Archived 2013-02-28 at the Wayback Machine(in Turkish)

[7] The survey was conducted under the auspices of the University of California at Berkeley.[1]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

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[7]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Island castle in Mersin Province, southern Turkey}}
 {{About|the castle in Erdemli|castle in [[Tarsus, Mersin|Tarsus]]|Kızlar Kalesi}}
 {{Infobox Military Structure
@@ Line 6: / Line 7: @@
 |image             = Kızkalesi (Maiden's castle).jpg
 |caption           = Kızkalesi
-|nearest_town      = Kızkalesi, Erdemli<br>Mersin Province
+|nearest_town      = Kızkalesi, [[Erdemli]]<br>[[Mersin Province]]
 |map_type          = Turkey
-|coordinates       = {{coord|36|27|N|34|09|E|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
+|coordinates       = {{coord|36|27|23|N|34|08|53|E|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
 |map_size          =
 |map_caption       =
-|type              = Fortress
+|type              = [[Island castle]]
 |code              =
 |built             =
@@ Line 31: / Line 32: @@
 }}
-'''Kızkalesi''' (Maiden's Castle, also known as ''Deniz kalesi'') is a castle situated on a small island in [[Mersin Province]] of [[Turkey]].
+'''Kızkalesi''' (from [[Turkish language|Turkish]]: "Maiden's Castle", also known as {{lang|tr|Deniz kalesi}}) is an [[island castle]] situated on a small island in [[Mersin Province]] of [[Turkey]].
 ==Geography==
-The medieval name of the island was ''Crambusa'' (in medieval [[Greek language|Greek]] Γραμβούσσα, ''Gramvoussa'').<ref name="Yumuktepe">[http://www.yumuktepe.com/kizkalesi-soylencesi-arst-sahin-ozkan/ Yumuktepe page by Şahin Özkan {{tr icon}}]</ref>  At {{coord|36|27|N|34|09|E}} it is about {{convert|300|m}} off shore in the [[Mediterranean Sea]]. The total area of the island is about {{convert|15000|m2}} and the castle covers most of this area. [[Kızkalesi]], the town facing the island in the main land which shares the same name as the island is {{convert|23|km}} to [[Erdemli]] (district center) and {{convert|60|km}} to [[Mersin]] (province center).
+The ancient name of the island was ''Crambusa'' ({{langx|el|Γραμβούσσα}}, ''Gramvoussa'').<ref name="Yumuktepe">[http://www.yumuktepe.com/kizkalesi-soylencesi-arst-sahin-ozkan/ Yumuktepe page by Şahin Özkan {{in lang|tr}}]</ref>  At {{coord|36|27|23|N|34|08|53|E}} it is about {{convert|300|m}} off shore in the [[Mediterranean Sea]]. The total area of the island is about {{convert|15000|m2}} and the castle covers most of this area. [[Kızkalesi]], the town facing the island in the main land which shares the same name as the island is {{convert|23|km}} to [[Erdemli]] (district center) and {{convert|60|km}} to [[Mersin]] (province center).
 ==History==
-According to [[Strabo]], the island was used by the pirates in the ancient age. But the castle was probably built by [[Alexios I Komnenos]] of [[Byzantine Empire|the Byzantine Empire]] after the [[First Crusade]].<ref>[http://www.castles.nl/kizkalesi-castle Castles page]</ref> It was extensively rebuilt in the 13th century by [[Leo I, King of Armenia|Leo I]] and at least one subsequent monarch of the [[Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia]].<ref name="Mersin">[http://issuu.com/eforweb/docs/mersin?mode=a_p Mersin Valiliği: Mersin Ören Yerleri],  {{ISBN|978-975-585-787-9}}. {{tr icon}}</ref>  Archaeological surveys published in 1982 and 1987 found that the original Byzantine plan survives primarily at the south with the characteristic square towers.  The Armenians rebuilt the north and west sides of the castle with their distinctive rusticated ashlar masonry (not spolia from the late antique city) and round towers. They also put new facing stone on most of the Greek construction.  Two Armenian inscriptions reportedly mention the rebuilding of this site by King Leo I (1206) and King Het‛um I (1251).<ref name="edwards">{{cite book|last1=Edwards| first1=Robert W.| title=The Fortifications of Armenian Cilicia: Dumbarton Oaks Studies XXIII | date=1987|publisher=Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University| location=Washington, D.C.|isbn=0-88402-163-7|pages=161–67, 284, pls.123a-128b, 296b-296c}}</ref>  The Armenians also built a barrel vaulted chapel inside the fort.<ref>Edwards, Robert W., “Ecclesiastical Architecture in the Fortifications of Armenian Cilicia: First Report, ''Dumbarton Oaks Papers'' 36, 1982, pp.173-75, pls.38-42.</ref>  The island was once connected to the mainland fort, [[Corycus]] castle, by a breakwater.  The Armenians called this fortress Gorygos (Կոռիկոս) but as it was slowly conquered by Turkish Empires the name changed to Kizkalesi.
+According to [[Strabo]], the island was used by the pirates in the ancient age. But the castle was probably built by [[Alexios I Komnenos]] of [[Byzantine Empire|the Byzantine Empire]] after the [[First Crusade]].<ref>[http://www.castles.nl/kizkalesi-castle Castles page]</ref> It was extensively rebuilt in the 13th century by [[Leo I, King of Armenia|Leo I]] and at least one subsequent monarch of the [[Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia]].<ref name="Mersin">[http://issuu.com/eforweb/docs/mersin?mode=a_p Mersin Valiliği: Mersin Ören Yerleri],  {{ISBN|978-975-585-787-9}}. {{in lang|tr}}</ref>  Archaeological surveys published in 1982 and 1987 found that the original Byzantine plan survives primarily at the south with the characteristic square towers.  The Armenians rebuilt the north and west sides of the castle with their distinctive rusticated ashlar masonry (not spolia from the late antique city) and round towers. They also put new facing stone on most of the Greek construction.  Two Armenian inscriptions reportedly mention the rebuilding of this site by King Leo I (1206) and King Het‛um I (1251).<ref name="edwards">{{cite book|last1=Edwards| first1=Robert W.| title=The Fortifications of Armenian Cilicia: Dumbarton Oaks Studies XXIII | date=1987|publisher=Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University| location=Washington, D.C.|isbn=0-88402-163-7|pages=161–67, 284, pls.123a-128b, 296b-296c}}</ref>  The Armenians also built a barrel vaulted chapel inside the fort.<ref>Edwards, Robert W., “Ecclesiastical Architecture in the Fortifications of Armenian Cilicia: First Report, ''Dumbarton Oaks Papers'' 36, 1982, pp.173-75, pls.38-42.</ref>  The island was once connected to the mainland fort, [[Corycus]] castle, by a breakwater.  The Armenians called this fortress Gorygos (Կոռիկոս).In the 14th century the Cilician Kingdom was on the verge of collapse and in 1360 [[Peter I of Cyprus]] captured the island at the request of the inhabitants. The castle was captured by [[İbrahim II of Karaman]] of the [[Karamanids]], an [[Anatolian beylik]], in 1448,<ref>[http://www.kizkalesi.bel.tr/sayfaa-134993345377-KIZKALESININ_TARIHI.html Kızkalesi mayor's page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130228095656/http://www.kizkalesi.bel.tr/sayfaa-134993345377-KIZKALESININ_TARIHI.html |date=2013-02-28 }}{{in lang|tr}}</ref> and by [[Gedik Ahmet Pasha]] of the [[Ottoman Empire]] in 1471. The name Gorygos was changed to Kızkalesi.
-In the 14th century the Cilician Kingdom was on the verge of collapse and in 1360 [[Peter I of Cyprus]] captured the island at the request of the inhabitants. The castle was captured by [[İbrahim II of Karaman]] in 1448 and by [[Gedik Ahmet Pasha]] of the [[Ottoman Empire]] in 1471. ([[Karamanids]] was an [[Anatolian beylik]] )<ref>[http://www.kizkalesi.bel.tr/sayfaa-134993345377-KIZKALESININ_TARIHI.html Kızkalesi mayor's page] {{tr icon}}</ref>
 ==Description==
 The total length of the [[Defensive wall|rampart]] is {{convert|192|m}}. The south and the west walls are perpendicular to each other. The north and east sides are surrounded by a curved rampart.
-The main gate is on the north side and there is a minor gate and a gallery on the west side. There are 8 bastions each with a unique shape.<ref name="Mersin"/>
+The main gate is on the north side and there is a minor gate and a gallery on the west side. There are 8 bastions each with a unique shape.<ref name="Mersin"/> An extensive photographic survey with plans of the two fortress at Kızkalesi was made between 1973 and 1981.<ref>The survey was conducted under the auspices of the University of California at Berkeley.[https://charlvarchive.org/Site/100]</ref>
 ==Legend of Kızkalesi==
-According to the legend of Kızkalesi, a fortune teller informs the king that his beautiful daughter will  be poisoned by a snake. He adds that even the king is unable to change her fate. Shocked by fortune teller's words, the king tries to change the fate by building a castle on an island where no snakes live. He sends his daughter to live in the castle. But a snake hides in a grape basket sent from the main land and poisons the princess.<ref name="Yumuktepe"/> This legend is not unique to Kızkalesi and some other localities in Turkey share the same story.
+According to the legend of Kızkalesi, a fortune teller informs the king that his beautiful daughter will  be poisoned by a snake. He adds that even the king is unable to change her fate. Shocked by the fortune teller's words, the king tries to save the princess by building a castle on an island where no snakes live. He sends his daughter to live in the castle. But a snake hides in a grape basket sent from the mainland and poisons the princess.<ref name="Yumuktepe"/> This legend is not unique to Kızkalesi and some other localities in Turkey share the same story.
 ==References==
 {{reflist}}
+== External links ==
-{{Commons category|Sea castle of Korykos}}
+* {{Commons category inline|Sea castle of Korykos}}
 {{Castles in Turkey}}
@@ Line 59: / Line 59: @@
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Kizkalesi (Castle)}}
-[[Category:Erdemli District]]
 [[Category:Archaeological sites in Mersin Province, Turkey]]
-[[Category:Castles in Turkey]]
+[[Category:Byzantine Anatolia]]
 [[Category:Byzantine fortifications in Turkey]]
 [[Category:Castles in Mersin Province]]
+[[Category:Erdemli District]]
 [[Category:Islands of Turkey]]
 [[Category:Mediterranean islands]]
-[[Category:Byzantine Anatolia]]
+[[Category:Olba territorium]]