| Anavarza Castle | |
|---|---|
| Adana Province, Turkey | |
 The castle from the west | |
  Anavarza Castle | |
| Coordinates | 37°15′03″N35°53′50″E / 37.25083°N 35.89722°E Coordinates: 37°15′03″N35°53′50″E / 37.25083°N 35.89722°E |
| Type | Fortress |
| Site information | |
| Open to the public | Yes |
| Condition | Rampart and the main building standing |
| Site history | |
| Built by | Roman Empire (?) Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia Crusaders |
| Demolished | Partially |
Anvarza Castle is an ancient castle in Adana Province, Turkey.
The castle lies to the east of Dilekkaya village of Kozan district. Visitors follow Turkish state highway D.400 and the highway to north for 26 kilometres (16 mi) and turn to east for 6 kilometres (3.7 mi). Although the vicinity of the castle is Çukurova plains (Cilicia of the antiquity) which is almost flat, there is a hill with steep slopes of about 150 metres (490 ft) high with respect to plains. The castle was built on the hill. The hill is accessible via a path from the south.
The castle had been built[ when? ] to control the ancient city with the same name. The remains of the city (which is on the plains) lies between the village and the castle. The bird's flight distance between the remains and the castle is about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi). During the history the castle had switched hands and partially ruined several times (Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, Abbasid Caliphate, Crusaders, Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, Mamluks of Egypt etc.). Archaeological evidence indicates that the majority of the fortress is of Armenian construction, including the small basilica of T’oros I (AD 1111)[ clarification needed ] and the chapels. The donjon was built by the Crusaders in the 12th century. [1] Although the city was evacuated in 1274 following an earthquake [2] the castle was used by Mamluks.
The height of the rampart is about 8 metres (26 ft). The length of the rampart from north to south is about 1,500 metres (4,900 ft). There are 20 bastions. The east to west dimensions are much less than the length. The north bailey has not been surveyed. [2] The military quarters are confined to the south and central baileys, which are separated by the Crusader donjon. [1] [3] The castle can be visited free of charge. [2]
Other castles in the region include:
Anazarbus was an ancient Cilician city. Under the late Roman Empire, it was the capital of Cilicia Secunda. Roman emperor Justinian I rebuilt the city in 527 after a strong earthquake hit it. It was destroyed in 1374 by the forces of the Mamluk Empire, after their conquest of Cilician Armenia.
Cilicia is a geographical region in southern Anatolia in Turkey, extending inland from the northeastern coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. Cilicia has a population ranging over six million, concentrated mostly at the Cilicia plain. The region includes the provinces of Mersin, Adana, Osmaniye, along with parts of Hatay and Antalya.
Kozan, formerly Sis, is a city in Adana Province, Turkey, 68 kilometres northeast of Adana, in the northern section of the Çukurova plain. The city is the capital of the ilçe (district) of Kozan. The Kilgen River, a tributary of the Ceyhan, flows through Kozan and crosses the plain south into the Mediterranean. The Taurus Mountains rise up sharply behind the town.
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Toprakkale is a town and district of Osmaniye Province in the Mediterranean region of Turkey. It is located at 10 km to the west of Osmaniye. Its name comes from an Abbasid castle near the city.
Yılankale is a late 12th–13th century Armenian castle in Adana Province of Turkey. It is known in Armenian as Levonkla after its possible founder—King Leo (Levon) I the Magnificent of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. Medieval Armenian names attached to the site are Kovara and Vaner.
Sarvandikar, also spelled Sarvanda k'ar. It was the Frankish castle of Savranda and is officially known today as Savranda Kalesi. The site is a medieval castle in the former Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, located in Turkey's Osmaniye Province approximately 115 kilometers east of Adana.
Sis was the capital of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. The massive fortified complex is just to the southwest of the modern Turkish town of Kozan in Adana Province.
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Tece Castle is a ruined castle in Mersin Province, southern Turkey.
Kozan Castle is a castle in Kozan, Adana Province, Turkey.
Gülek Castle is a medieval castle in Mersin Province, Turkey.
Cilicia was one of the most important regions of the Middle East throughout history, who hosted the Hittite, Hellenistic, Roman, Armenian, and Islamic civilizations. Historically many people considered it as a part of the Levant, and during what is called the Rashidun Caliphate, much of its area was titled with the arabic name "Ath-Thugur As-Shamiyya"-carrying the meaning Levantine outskirts.
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