Yılankale
Castle ruin in Ceyhan, Adana, Turkey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yılankale (lit. 'snake castle' in Turkish)[4][5][6] is a late 12th[7]–13th century[4] Armenian[3][8][9] castle in Adana Province of Turkey. It is known in Armenian as Levonkla[10] (Լևոնկլա[2] "Levon's fortress") after its possible founder—King Leo (Levon) I the Magnificent[2][3] (r. 1198/9–1219) of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. Medieval Armenian names attached to the site are Kovara and Vaner.[11]
| Yılankale | |
|---|---|
| Adana Province, Turkey | |
Yılankale | |
| Site information | |
| Open to the public | Yes[1] |
| Condition | Ruins |
| Location | |
  Yılankale Location of Yılankale within Turkey | |
| Coordinates | 37.014444°N 35.747778°E |
| Site history | |
| Built | 13th century |
| Built by | Leo (Levon) I[2][3] of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia |
A hill castle, Yılankale is located on a rocky hill overlooking the east bank of the Ceyhan River,[6] and the Bronze and Iron Age site of Sirkeli Höyük, six kilometers west of the town of Ceyhan.[12] The building is locally known as the home of Shahmaran, a mythical creature half woman and half snake.[13][14]
Architecture
The walls, as well as the numerous horseshoe-shaped towers and vaulted chambers, are built with beautifully cut rusticated masonry and are carefully adapted to the coiling outcrop of limestone to create three baileys.[15] The archaeological and historical assessment of this castle published in 1987 (with a scaled plan) describes each unit in detail.[15] In the upper bailey is an Armenian chapel with its apse and north wall preserved.[3] The assumption that the relief of a seated king with two rampant lions in the gatehouse door depicts King Levon I (confirming the conclusion that he was the castle's early 13th-c. founder), was convincingly challenged by both iconographic and archaeological evidence, which shows that the relief portrays either Kings Het'um I (1226–70) or Het'um II (1289–1307).[16] The castle was abandoned during the reign of the Ramadanids in the mid-14th century.[17]
It has been described as the "most perfectly preserved Armenian castle" of the Çukurova (Cilicia) region.[3] The castle is open to the public[1] and was renovated in summer of 2014.[18]
History
In late 19th century, the inhabitants of Yılankale were Nogai immigrants from the Crimean War.[19]
Gallery
An aerial view of the castle
See also
Comparable castles include:
