Ünye Castle: An Ancient Fortress in Turkey
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.3
- Popularity
- Low
- Country
- Turkey
- Primary era
- Classical
- Eras represented
- Classical
- Civilizations
- Kingdom of Pontus
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Castle
On this page9 sections
History
Ünye Castle is an ancient fortress in Turkey, completed around 250 BC and associated with the Kingdom of Pontus, a Hellenistic state on the southern Black Sea coast. Also known as Çaleoğlu Castle, it occupies a naturally defensive position and has a history of about 2,500 years.
Pontic and Later Rule
The fortress was used successively by the Kingdom of Pontus, the Romans, the Byzantines, and the Ottomans. Its entrance gate was built during the reign of Mithridates II, a king of Pontus. For a period, the stronghold also served as a retreat for monks.
Medieval and Ottoman Associations
During the eleventh and twelfth centuries, the castle functioned as a fortified stronghold because of its elevated and difficult-to-reach position. Tradition attributes its conquest to Yağıbasan, a ruler of the Danishmend dynasty, a medieval Turkmen ruling house that controlled parts of Anatolia. The name Çaleoğlu is thought to come from an Ottoman feudal lord who controlled the fortress.
Restoration and Archaeological Work
Cleaning and restoration in 2009 repaired sections of the walls where stones had fallen. Tombs were found within the inner fortress, and additional stone coffins, or sarcophagi, lay beneath accumulated rubble. Skeletons and bones removed during the work were reportedly destroyed through uninformed intervention carried out without archaeologists present.
Restoration resumed in 2018, when coins, pottery, and cannonballs from different periods were found. A project was also prepared for a rail system leading to the large passage, which measures 250 metres in length.
Remains
The castle stands within Kaleköy, about 5 kilometres southeast of Ünye, on the left side of the Ünye-Niksar road. Much of the fortress occupies a single mass of rock. Its walls rise along a steep slope that is difficult to approach, and substantial sections have survived largely intact. The entrance lies on the southeastern side, while two passages and a cistern, a reservoir for collecting and storing water, are located near the summit.
Rock Fortress and Burial Features
Southeastern Gate
The southeastern gate reaches approximately 5 metres in height and dates to the reign of Mithridates II. Its position on the rock slope forms the principal approach to the fortified enclosure.
Rock-Cut Tomb
A rock-cut tomb lies in the same direction as the gate, about 10 metres above ground level. It measures 3 metres wide and 2 metres high. Its triangular pediment carries a relief eagle at each of its three points.
Summit Features and Finds
Near the summit, two passages and a cistern form part of the surviving installations. The inner fortress also contains tombs, while further sarcophagi were found beneath rubble during the 2009 work. Coins, pottery, and cannonballs recovered during the restoration that resumed in 2018 represent different periods in the castle’s long use.
