One of Turkey’s Most Well-Preserved Medieval Castles: Mamure

Mamure Castle is located on the Antalya-Mersin Highway, 6 kilometers south-east of Anamur and 216 kilometers west of Mersin, on the Mediterranean Seaside. The castle, which covers an area of 23.500 m2, is one of Turkey's most significant and best-protected fortresses. Although the actual construction date of the castle is unknown, it is thought to have been erected by the Romans in the third or fourth century, based on excavations undertaken by the Directorate of Anamur Museum in 1988. These excavations uncovered a mosaic floor named "Ryg Monai" (3rd-4th c. A.D.), a town that was not well-known at the time.

The Importance of Castle

The Mamure Castle is one of the Mediterranean's best-preserved medieval fortresses. It was constructed on the ruins of a fourth-century Roman fortification by the kings of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. The castle boasts a one-of-a-kind medieval fortress that reflects the characteristics of many armies, including the Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks, Karamanoullar, and Ottomans. The castle is one of Turkey's most enormous, covering an area of 3,500 square meters.

The castle is in an excellent defensive position, overlooking the sea and the surrounding area. The Ottoman Empire seized the fortress in 1469.

Visit Mamure Castle

When visiting Mamure, it's also a good idea to see the adjacent ruins of Anemurium, which was erected between 100 BC and AD 600. The archaeological site's most remarkable feature is its Roman bathhouse, which has preserved chiefly walls, a theater, aqueducts, and numerous magnificent mosaics. The two-story structure still has changing rooms, a hot and cold area, and a pool hall. There's also a sign outside in Latin that says, "Welcome to the baths, take a nice bath," a nod to a period when the city was thriving.