Kayseri Castle: A Historic Fortress in Turkey
Visitor Information
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Official Website: www.kayseri.gov.tr
Country: Turkey
Civilization: Byzantine, Ottoman, Roman
Remains: Military
History
Kayseri Castle stands in the heart of Kayseri city, located in the Melikgazi district of Kayseri Province, Turkey. The city has long held strategic importance due to its geographic position, attracting various civilizations and military powers. The castle’s origins trace back to the Roman Empire, with its initial construction dated to the mid-3rd century AD during Emperor Gordian III’s reign (238–244 AD). Coins from this period confirm the establishment of the city walls and fortress as part of the Roman defensive system.
In the early 6th century, Byzantine Emperor Justinian I undertook significant repairs and modifications to the city walls. Historical accounts by the Byzantine historian Procopius mention the narrowing and strengthening of the fortifications, reflecting the empire’s efforts to secure its eastern frontiers. This phase ensured the continued use of the castle as a defensive stronghold during Byzantine rule.
The castle’s present form largely reflects medieval architecture shaped during the Seljuk period. In 1224, Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad ordered extensive repairs and expansions, marking a key phase in the fortress’s development. Subsequent Turkish dynasties, including the Dulkadirids and Karamanids, maintained and restored the castle, with documented repairs in 1411 by Dulkadiroğlu Hasan Bey and in 1466 by Karamanid Piramet. These inscriptions confirm the castle’s ongoing military and administrative role through changing rulers.
Under Ottoman control, the castle continued to serve as a fortified refuge. The late 15th century saw the construction of the Fatih Mosque within the castle walls, commissioned by Sultan Mehmed II. This mosque replaced an earlier Karamanid structure. The mosque underwent restorations in 1711, 1778, 1886, and 1990.
Throughout the medieval period, the castle reportedly sheltered around 600 families. Archaeological excavations have revealed Byzantine foundations beneath later Turkish constructions.
Remains
Kayseri Castle consists of two main parts: an inner fortress and an outer fortress, surrounded by extensive city walls. The inner castle measures roughly 800 meters from north to south and 200 meters from east to west. Its walls are thick, about three meters, and include a patrol path beneath the towers. The outer walls are mostly ruined, with only fragments remaining.
The inner castle contains 18 rectangular towers, many well-preserved. Some towers incorporate Byzantine foundations and masonry, such as Tower 1, which retains original Byzantine elements. Others were rebuilt or expanded during the Turkish period, featuring multiple floors with wooden ceilings and stone-vaulted lower levels. Archaeological sondages have identified triangular-plan Byzantine towers beneath some southern wall towers, confirming the site’s layered construction.
The castle has two original gates: one in the northeast and another facing the Kazancılar Bazaar in the southwest. A third gate was added later, facing Cumhuriyet Meydanı, reflecting modern urban changes. Defensive features include water moats around the outer perimeter, now filled and converted into green spaces, and machicolations (openings for dropping objects on attackers) above the southern gate.
The southern gate’s design is unusual for a fortress, resembling a caravanserai or bazaar entrance. It features a deep, high-arched niche and a two-line Persian inscription carved on a marble block above the entrance. The eastern gate near towers 10 and 11 has a complex layout with two sequential entrances: an inner Byzantine-style gate and an outer Turkish-period gate connecting the towers.
Inside the inner castle stands the Fatih Mosque, built on a square plan with four arches supporting a dome. The mosque has undergone several restorations over the centuries, preserving its structure within the castle.
Inscriptions found on the castle walls date exclusively from the Turkish period, commemorating repairs by Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad, Dulkadiroğlu Hasan Bey, and Karamanid Piramet. No pre-Turkish inscriptions have been discovered. The outer castle’s walls and towers survive only in fragments, with gates such as Sivas Kapısı, Kiçikapı, and Boyacı Kapısı known only by name today.