Amasya Castle ( tr, Amasya Kalesi), a.k.a. Harşene Castle, is a

fortress A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

located in Amasya, northern Turkey.

Location

The castle is located north of Amasya and the river Yeşilırmak on the steep rocks called Mount Harşene.

History

The castle was attacked, ruined, changed hand and restored many times in the history during the Persian, Roman,

Pontic Pontic, from the Greek ''pontos'' (, ), or "sea", may refer to: The Black Sea Places * The Pontic colonies, on its northern shores * Pontus (region), a region on its southern shores * The Pontic–Caspian steppe, steppelands stretching from n ...

and Byzantine era. The castle was severely ruined during the battles between the Romans and Pontics. It was substantially restored after the conquest of Amasya by the Ottomans in 1075, and remained in use until the 18th century when it lost its military importance. While fleeing the invading troops of Timur in the first years of the 15th century, Ottoman then- şehzade Çelebi Mehmed took refuge in Amasya Castle.

Description

The castle has eight-level defensive emplacements outside the castle down to the banks of Yeşilırmak River. The top-level fortification is constructed in

ashlar Ashlar () is finely dressed (cut, worked) stone, either an individual stone that has been worked until squared, or a structure built from such stones. Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, generally rectangular cuboid, mentioned by Vitruv ...

masonry while the defensive walls are made of rubble masonry. A rock-carved gallery known as "Cilanbolu" is situated in the middle of the castle. An underground stairway in length and a diameter of , has 150 steps leading downward. The castle has four gates, named "Helkıs", "Saray", "Maydonos" and "Meydan". It includes dungeons, a cistern and a well.

Other landmarks

Below the castle stand the ruins of a bastion and a mosque. On the southern hillside, there are ruins of the "Kızlar Sarayı" (literally: "Maidens' Palace"), used during the Ottoman period. At about height, in a sheer rock face, there are 18 large and small tombs of Pontic kings, dating to the 3rd century BC and carved into the limestone cliff. At about of the ancient fortress walls along the Yeşilırmak River, typical Amasya houses,

hamam A hammam ( ar, حمّام, translit=ḥammām, tr, hamam) or Turkish bath is a type of steam bath or a place of public bathing associated with the Islamic world. It is a prominent feature in the culture of the Muslim world and was inherited f ...

s and mosques were built.

References

{{commons category, Amasya Castle Buildings and structures in Amasya Province Castles in Turkey Tourist attractions in Amasya Province