Abstract:

Silifke Castle was built on the Hajj and trade route in a strategic location where the connection between Anatolia and Cyprus was established. For that reason, it has preserved its importance since the early ages and different states dominated the castle. Silifke came under Roman rule after the Ptolemaic Dynasty of Egypt and the Seleucid Empire. It remained within the borders of the Eastern Roman Empire after the division of the Roman Empire. The castle was built in the Roman era, it is possible to understand that from the foundation stones of the walls and some structures in the castle. After the Roman era, the castle came under the Byzantine rule and then changed hands between the Armenians and Knights Hospitaller for a short time. It came under the rule of the Kingdom of Cyprus at the end of the 13th century, the Karamanids in the middle of the 14th century, and lastly the Ottoman Empire at the end of the 15th century. The economic and political structure in Silifke and its surrounding collapsed substantially as a result of revolts that broke out at the end of the 16th century. The only safe place for the people and the merchants was the castle in that situation, and the castle had preserved that feature until the end of the 19th century. The castle was abandoned after that time. The castle which was defeated by time and weather conditions was worn and destroyed, and the settlement inside the castle remained under a pile of stones and soil.

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