Mamure Castle

Mamure stands on the Mediterranean shore just east of Anamur, first built by the Armenian rulers of Cilicia, repaired in Byzantine and Crusader times, rebuilt on a larger scale by the Seljuk sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I after he took it in 1221, and later held by the Karamanids and the Ottomans, who each added to it - which is why it has thirty-nine towers and bastions, three courtyards, a moat still holding water, a mosque and a lighthouse inside the walls. It is one of the largest surviving castles in Turkey and, unusually, sits at sea level with waves breaking against its seaward wall rather than on a hilltop. The ramparts can be walked in parts, connecting the towers, and the view runs along the coast in both directions. Turtles use the moat. A long restoration programme has been under way and sections have been closed for extended periods, with some criticism locally about the methods used, so what is open varies - checking before travelling is sensible, since Anamur is a long way from anywhere.

Highlights

• The thirty-nine towers - the full circuit of walls and bastions.
• The water moat - still filled, with terrapins in it.
• The seaward wall - waves against the castle base.
• The inner courts - mosque, lighthouse and open ground inside.

When to go

April to June and September to November - the Mersin coast is extremely hot in high summer and the castle has no shade. Late afternoon for light on the walls.

Before you go

Restoration has closed sections for long periods; confirm what is open before making the trip. Ramparts are unfenced in places. Anamur is remote - several hours from Antalya or Mersin.

Nearby

Anemurium's ruins are on the cape west of Anamur; the coast road runs long and slow in both directions.

Key facts