Mersin Kız Kalesi

Deniz Kalesi, also known as Kız Kalesi, is located on a small islet approximately 600 metres offshore from the coast of Kızkalesi Village in the Erdemli district of Mersin. The fortress serves as the symbol of the neighbourhood bearing its name and is situated 60 kilometres southwest of Mersin. According to historical sources, the castle was built in 1199 by I. Leon; this information is derived from an inscription on the castle itself. Additionally, according to Herodotus, the town was founded by the Cypriot King Korykos. Korykos first appeared during the Hellenistic period, reached its golden age under Roman rule, and even minted coins in its own name during the 1st century BCE.

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The history of Kız Kalesi is rooted in the region’s rich past. According to Strabo, pirates used the castle as a refuge during the Roman period. The fortress was also valued under Byzantine and Armenian rule and considered a strategic defensive point alongside the mainland Korykos Castle. In 1099, I. Alexios commissioned the construction of the mainland castle to the architect Megas Drungarios Eustatias, while I. Leon built Kız Kalesi in 1199. In 1361, the castle was captured by the Kingdom of Cyprus and remained in use during the Lusignan period. It was conquered in 1448 by Karamanoğlu II. Ibrahim and passed to the Ottoman Empire between 1473 and 1474.

Korykos came under Roman rule in 80 BCE and passed under the control of King Archelaus of Cappadocia in 20 BCE. During the Roman and Byzantine periods, Korykos was a major port city. In the 6th century, it became a bishopric under the Patriarchate of Antioch and the diocese of Tarsus. In the 7th century, the city came under Sassanian and Arab rule, and from the 9th to 10th centuries, it was incorporated into the Thema of Seleukeia. During the reign of Mamluk Sultan Baybars in 1275, the city became notable for its saffron production. In 1329, following the murder of Osin, the last ruler of the Hetumid dynasty, the region came under the dominion of IV. Leon.

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Kız Kalesi was constructed using spolia and rubble stones, with the use of rubble stones likely dating to the Lusignan period. The fortress is surrounded by walls 192 metres in length featuring machicolations, with eight towers of triangular, quadrilateral and circular shapes built along the walls. A well-preserved gallery runs along the western wall, and a gate opens toward the sea. The main entrance to the castle is located on the north side.

Mersin Archaeology Museum conducted cleaning excavations that revealed a building complex in the central area of the castle. The chapel within this complex predates the other chapel in the castle courtyard and is distinguished by its mosaic floor and opus sectile pavement. The mosaic floor bears a five-line inscription within a circular braided pattern, while another inscription is located on the revak at the western corner. The surrounding square-plan rooms open into the central hall, and the floor slopes upward toward the north. The castle courtyard also contains cisterns and workshops. In the ancient city of Korykos, architectural remains such as the harbor gate, large and small temples, churches, a colonnaded street, the northern gate, and baths reflect the city’s diversity. Aqueducts and canals that transported water from the Lamas River were part of the city’s infrastructure.

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Kız Kalesi is associated with a legend: Once there was a king who consulted a soothsayer to learn his beloved daughter’s future. Upon hearing that she would die from a snakebite, the king had this castle built on the sea to protect her. Believing he had secured her safety, the king once sent his daughter a basket of grapes. Hidden within the basket, however, was a snake that bit and killed the princess. A similar legend is told about the Kız Kulesi in Istanbul.

Kız Kalesi can be reached by public transportation within Mersin. The castle lies 150 metres offshore from the coastal resort village on the Eastern Mediterranean, surrounded by blue waters. Visitors can reach the castle by swimming, by small passenger boats, or by rowing. Together with the mainland Korykos Castle, the village has become known as a “two-castle” destination.