Mamure Castle Mamure Castle About: Mamure(prosperous) Castle is a medieval castle in the Anamur District of Mersin Province, Turkey. Mersin Mamure Castle is on the Mediterranean coast about 36°04′51″N 32°53′40″E, on the D400 highway, 7 kilometres (3.7 mi) east of Anamur and 216 kilometres (134 mi) west of Mersin. The Castle lies within the boundaries of Bozdoğan village 6 km east of Anamur. It is one of the Turkish castles along the Mediterranean coastline that have reached the present day in good shape. The castle, covering an area of 23.500 m2, is one of the biggest castles of Turkey. Mamure Castle History: The castle was built by the rulers of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia on the foundations of 4th century Roman castle. It was designed to protect from against pirates and repaired during the Byzantine time and during the Crusades. The present castle was built in place of the previous one which was destroyed when Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubat seized the city in 1221. The castle came under the rule of the Karamanoğulları and the Ottomans. Between 1300 and 1308 years Mamure castle was conquered by the Karamanids under Bedreddin Mahmud Bey. It was repaired in the 15th, 16th and 18th centuries and a part of the fortress was used as a caravansarai. Having the appearance of a caravansarai, the Mamure Castle has been one of the best preserved castles of Anatolia. Mamure Castle is over 1500 years old and ranks among the best-preserved Medieval Castles on the Mediterranean coast. It is an authentic medieval fortification with styles from different conquering armies; the Roman empire, Byzantine empire, Seljuks empire, Karamanids and Ottoman empire. Mamure Castle Architecture: Mamure castle is surrounded by a moat on the land side. The road on the rampart connects the 39 towers and a lot of battlements to each other. There are 3 main yards within the castle; west, east and the south, which are separated from each other by high walls. In the yard at the west there is an outer castle, a small complex of a single minaret mosque, the ruins of a hamam (Turkish bath), a fountain, warehouses and cisterns. Unesco: Mamure Castle, which takes place within the 1st Degree Archaeological and Natural Site, was listed as immovable cultural property by the 17.12.2004 dated and 303 numbered decision of the Related Conservation Council.
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 21:11:53 +0000