Çimenlik Castle (Kale-i Sultaniye)

Çimenlik Castle, also known as Kale-i Sultaniye, is situated on a flat area near the mouth of Sarıçay on the Anatolian shore at the narrowest point of the Çanakkale Strait. The castle was constructed in 1462 by Fatih Sultan Mehmet after the conquest of Istanbul to secure the strait’s defense. On the opposite shore, on the European side, lies Kilitbahir Castle.

^{Çimenlik Kalesi} (Çanakkale Valiliği)

The castle has a rectangular plan measuring approximately 110 by 160 meters. The structure consists of outer walls and a large central tower. The outer walls are reinforced with polygonal and circular towers. Corner towers are positioned along the walls; one of the eastern towers is twelve-sided while the other is round. The western towers are internally rounded and lie buried beneath the earth.

The central tower measures approximately 30 by 42 meters and stands 20 meters high. This three-story structure was built at the same height as the walls. The arsenal located between the outer walls is circular in plan with an internal diameter of 5 meters and wall thickness of 2.28 meters. The arsenal has no external windows.

Inside the castle there are two mosques. The first, Fatih Mosque, was built during the castle’s construction period and adjoins the tower on the northern facade. The upper part of its minaret collapsed over time and was later rebuilt. The second mosque was constructed between 1861 and 1876 under Sultan Abdülaziz and is located in the southwest corner of the central tower. Additionally, the structure contains an arsenal and barracks used for military purposes.

^{Çimenlik Kalesi} (Anadolu Ajansı)

Throughout history the castle has been repaired and strengthened during various periods. Major repairs and reinforcements were carried out during the reign of Kanuni Sultan Süleyman in 1551 during the Cretan War of the 17th century and during the reign of III. Selim in the 18th century. In the 19th century the western curtain walls corner towers and part of the northwest walls were demolished and replaced with artillery emplacements. These emplacements contain a total of four bonnets (gun shelters). The bonnets were constructed of rubble stone and brick with their surfaces facing the castle covered in cut stone.

^{Çimenlik Kalesi} (Çanakkale Valiliği)

During World War I, during the Çanakkale Battles of 1915 Çimenlik Castle served as the headquarters of the Central Defense Group. On 18 March 1915 a shell fired from the British warship HMS Queen Elizabeth struck the northern curtain wall creating a hole approximately 2 meters in diameter. The shell did not explode and remained embedded in the wall. This shell is still preserved in situ today.

Today Çimenlik Castle functions as a military museum. The museum exhibits cannons from various periods artillery transport vehicles anti-tank weapons mines and fragments of a German submarine recovered from the strait. The structure has survived to the present day largely preserving its original architectural features.