Özet:

Keçi Castle is located on the hill rising from the first entrance of the Alaman strait, at the junction of the road leading from Izmir and Sardis to Ephesus. This area is a natural gateway which is very strategic importance. The remains on the hill prove the continuation of the other monuments and settlements on this passage which has been opened to Ephesos since antiquity. The remains of a Byzantine village on the hillside, a Hellenistic watchtower and a stone paved road can still be seen. The castle has an inner fortress with a rectangular plan and an outer fortress which covers it from the west and north sides. Although there are different proposals for its use, it is thought that the castle is a part of the defense network constructed between late 12th and the begining of the 13th century. In our analytical work presented to the Ministry of Culture in 2012, the plan of castle has been redrawn with modern technical equipments and the detailed façade examination show us different construction phases of the structure. In our paper, discussions will be focused on the construction phases, its use and history in the context of new finds.