The exact date of the start of the restoration has yet to be determined, but work is expected to begin after the Cultural and Natural Assets Conservation Board holds a tender and awards a contract.
The castle, belonging to the Treasury, is perched on the steep hills overlooking the Black Sea.
It is not certain whether the castle was built during the Byzantine (between the fourth and fifth centuries) or the Genoese (between the 12th and 14th centuries) periods, but the current materials and construction techniques are reflective of the Ottoman period.
Kilyos Castle suffered attacks by the Don Cossacks and was subsequently repaired by Sultan Mahmut II in the 17th century. The castle was then used as a hospital during the Crimean War in 1854. The castle, located at the mouth of the Bosporus, served as a lookout during World War II and the British occupation of İstanbul.
The castle is in ruins today, and its façade is surrounded by thick vegetation and large trees that have overtaken it over the years. There also appear to be some structural problems pertaining to its foundations.
