Torul Castle: A Genoese Signal-Fire Tower and Ottoman Conquest Site in Turkey
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.4
- Popularity
- Medium
- Country
- Turkey
- Primary era
- Medieval
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Genoese
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Castle
On this page6 sections
History
Torul Castle is a ruined fortress in Torul, Turkey, built by Genoese who came from Trabzon during the Fourth Crusade, the western European campaign that culminated in the capture and sack of Constantinople in 1204. Its first known function was as a signal-fire tower, used to communicate across the surrounding region.
Genoese origins and Haldia
The castle has been identified with Zegan Castle, also called Zigana Castle, although this identification remains uncertain. In the early fifteenth century, Zegan Castle was the residence of Cyril Cabasica, Duke of Haldia. Haldia was the historical region centered on the eastern Black Sea and northeastern Anatolian territories around Trebizond.
The Georgian Kabazites family, which held the duchy of Haldia, is also said to have used Torul Castle as a residence. The family collected tolls from Turks passing in front of the castle, repeatedly conducted raids, and fought with nearby Çepni communities. The Çepni were a branch of the Oghuz Turkic peoples.
Attempts at capture and Ottoman rule
In later years, Sheikh Junayd repeatedly tried to seize the castle, which was then held by Greeks or Georgians, but his attempts failed. Sheikh Junayd was a fifteenth-century Sufi religious leader associated with the Safavid religious order.
Local Turks eventually became dissatisfied with this situation. Bayezid, the governor of Amasya, then ordered the Ottoman commander Rakkas Sinan Bey to advance against the castle by decree of Sultan Mehmed II. Mehmed II ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1451 to 1481 and conquered Constantinople in 1453. Rakkas Sinan Bey captured Torul Castle in 1479. It was the last place in the Haldia region to be conquered.
Remains
Castle walls and position
Torul Castle stands east of the Torul district, rising approximately 200 metres above its surroundings. The entrance is on the eastern side. The masonry resembles the color of the natural rock and combines rubble stone with regularly dressed blocks, all joined with lime mortar. Surviving sections of the castle walls measure approximately 3 to 5 metres in height, while the fortress itself is now in ruins.
Observation terrace
A glass observation terrace was constructed at the castle between 2016 and 2018. Positioned at a height of 240 metres, it covers 90 square metres and can accommodate 50 people at one time. The terrace overlooks the Harşit River, the district center, and the surrounding mountains. A Turkish flag measuring 10 by 15 metres hangs from a pole 45 metres high at the terrace.
Nearby sites
