Corycus Castle

Eastern Mediterranean


At the northern end of Kızkalesi beach, Corycus Castle (sometimes called the 'Land Castle') was rebuilt with Roman material by the Byzantines, briefly occupied by the Armenian kingdom of Cilicia and once connected to Kızkalesi by a causeway. Walk carefully up the worn stairway to the east, where a ruined tower affords a fine view of Kızkalesi Castle rising up from the sea.

Access is from the beach on the west side; the castle was undergoing a massive renovation at the time of research. Across the highway to the north is a necropolis, once the burial ground for tradespeople. Tombs and rock carvings include a 4th-century relief of a warrior with a raised sword.