Castle of Kars
Castle of Kars | |
---|---|
Kars Kalesi | |
Lala Kara Mustafa Pasha (1579) | |
Materials | Basalt masonry |
Demolished | 1386, 1606, 1878 |
Battles/wars | Battle of Kars at Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) Caucasus campaign |
The Castle of Kars (Turkish: Kars Kalesi, Armenian: Կարսի բերդ) is a former fortification located in Kars, Turkey. It is also known under the name İç Kale ("Central/Inner Castle", "Citadel").
It was first built during the rule of the
It is said in the Ottoman sources that the castle was rebuilt with the help of one hundred thousand soldiers and workers. In 1606, the castle was destroyed by the
Layout
The castle consisted of two sections, the internal and the external castles. The external walls were made of five layers. In addition, there were deep trenches made in front of it. The main castle looks to the east. The planning of the walls of the external castle is not quite quadrangle. The length of the castle's perimeter makes 3,500 m (11,500 ft), it was supported with 22 watchtowers, of which only seven remained intact until today.
The length of the internal castle makes 250 m (820 ft) in the east-west direction, and about 90 m (300 ft) in the north-south direction. The castle has four gates. The "Su Kapısı" (literally: Water Gate) or "Çeribaşı Kapısı" is situated in the west, "Kagizman Kapısı" orta "Orta Kapı" in the south and "Behram Kapı" in the east. The main gate located in the north opens up to a
The castle's watchtower can be accessed by climbing the stairs or along the stone paved road.
Just inside the main entrance is a shrine containing the tomb of Jelal Baba who died during the
Today, the castle is administered by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.[1]
Cultural events
In 2005, the castle hosted a music concert by Turkish pop singer Sezen Aksu attended by around 25,000 people.[2]
During the
References
- ^ Kars City Guide Archived 2012-01-06 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ "Sezen Aksu Kars Kalesi'nde 25 bin kişiyi coşturdu". Sabah (in Turkish). 2005-10-03. Retrieved 2011-12-31.
- ^ "Kars Kalesi'nde ilk sema". Sabah (in Turkish). 2011-08-17. Archived from the original on 2012-09-09. Retrieved 2011-12-31.