Softa Castle ( tr, Softa Kalesi) is a ruined

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

in Bozyazı ilçe (district) of Mersin Province, Turkey. Softa Castle 3

Geography

The castle, to the east of Bozyazı district center is situated on a hill of high and close to Turkish state highway D400. However, the road doesn't reach the castle. Visitors have to walk up the last course. The distance to Bozyazı is only and to

Mersin Mersin (), also known as İçel, is a large city and a port on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast of southern Turkey. It is the provincial capital of Mersin Province, Mersin (İçel) Province. It is made up of four municipalities and dis ...

is .

History

The castle was built in late Roman times. Its original name was ''Sycae'' ( el, Συκαὶ), and continued to be used under the Byzantine Empire. In the first half of the 13th century, it was captured by the

Atabeg Atabeg, Atabek, or Atabey is a hereditary title of nobility of Turkic origin, indicating a governor of a nation or province who was subordinate to a monarch and charged with raising the crown prince. The first instance of the title's use was wit ...

Ertokuş of the Seljuk Turks. It was also used during the Karamanid era (up to mid 15th century). In the 1470s it was captured by

Gedik Ahmet Pasha Gedik Ahmed Pasha (; died 18 November 1482) was an Ottoman statesman and admiral who served as Grand Vizier and Kapudan Pasha (Grand Admiral of the Ottoman Navy) during the reigns of sultans Mehmed II and Bayezid II. Very little was known a ...

of the Ottoman Empire.

Archaeology

It is an oval shaped castle where the narrowest diameter is about . The ruins out of the castle spread out to ancient

Arsinoe Arsinoe grc, Ἀρσινόη, Arsinoë, pronounced Arsinoi in modern Greek, may refer to: People * Arsinoe of Macedon, mother of Ptolemy I Soter * Apama II or Arsinoe (c. 292 BC–after 249 BC), wife of Magas of Cyrene and mother of Berenice II ...

. In the southern slopes of the hill there are graves. The portal is on the west rampart. In the castle there are ruins of a palace, a bath, several cisterns and a mosque. Mersin Governorship: ''Mersin Ören Yerleri Kaleleri Müzeleri'' ("Mersin Ruins, castles and museums"), p.282

In popular culture

According to a popular belief, there is an underground connection between Softa Castle and Mamure Castle to the west, which so far is not proven. The distance between the two castles is about . Another belief is that the castle is protected by snakes. Bozyazı newspaper

References

External links

Dick Dosseman's photo gallery of Softa Castle
{{Authority control Bozyazı District Byzantine fortifications in Turkey Archaeological sites in Mersin Province, Turkey Byzantine sites in Anatolia Ancient Roman buildings and structures in Turkey Ruined castles in Turkey Castles in Mersin Province