Scaling the heights of Kozan

A craggy, mountainous pinnacle of rock suddenly rises up 1,000 meters from the surrounding plain. That in itself would be impressive enough, but perched on top of this unbelievable pinnacle are the crumbling remains of a castle. How, you ask yourself, could it ever have got up there? And, more to the point, how are you ever going to get up there to explore it?

The stretch of coast that runs between Anamur and İskenderun boasts more than its fair share of spectacular medieval castles. Most famous are probably the two at Kızkalesi (Maiden's Castle), one of them safely anchored to the shore, the other floating majestically on the water like a desert mirage. Travelers passing through Anamur also catch a glimpse of the equally impressive Mamure Castle set right on the beach, a relic of the days when the Crusaders based in Cyprus also kept a toehold on the southern Turkish coast. Then there are the Yılan (Snake) and Toprak (Earth) castles, which stand a short way off the main road as it swings round and starts to head down towards Antakya. But perhaps the most Kozan-like castle of all is Softa Kalesi, which stands inland to the east of Anamur. Its lofty perch may not be quite as much of an eyrie as Kozan's, but it's a pretty close thing.

These castles bear witness to a period in medieval history when this corner of Turkey formed part of the Cilician Kingdom of Armenia (Lesser Armenia) with its capital at Kozan, then called Sis. Its existence in this part of the world was a byproduct of the expansion of the Selçuk Turks who, in the 11th century, poured across Central Asia and into what is now Armenia, forcing its population to flee south, especially after they seized Ani, near Kars, in 1064. Led by Prince Reuben, a scion of the Bagratid family who had governed Ani, they made their base in Sis in 1080 and proceeded to prosper on the proceeds of trade even as their compatriots back in the Armenian highlands floundered.

Cilician Armenia modeled itself closely on the West and adopted Western traditions of feudalism with knights and barons lording it over the serfs. The rulers spoke French or Latin and dressed in Western-style clothes. They also allowed the Crusaders to use their territory for rest and recuperation on their way to and from the Holy Land (Palestine). Not surprisingly then, their castles often look very similar to those built by the Crusaders, most magnificently exemplified by Krak des Chevaliers in modern Syria.

The Cilician Kingdom of Armenia survived for almost 300 years, during which time it became known for monasteries that were responsible for some of the most magnificent illuminated manuscripts ever produced. Despite all this it was continually attacked by the Mamluks based in Egypt and Syria. Even worse was the threat from the Mongols, who completely destroyed Baghdad in 1258. Fearing a similar fate for Sis, King Hethoum I (1226-70) sent his brother all the way to Karakorum in Mongolia, where he persuaded the Great Khan to accept Hethoum as a vassal. Mission accomplished, the king saw his efforts amply rewarded when the Mongols rerouted part of one of the silk routes to the port at Ayaş, which fell within the boundaries of his state. But, of course, nothing could stand in the way of history, and eventually the Ramazanoğlu Turks forced the Armenians out on behalf of their Mamluk overlords. Despite the last king Leo IV's urgent pleas for Western aid, none was forthcoming. He died in exile in Paris in 1393.

Sis fell to the Ottomans in 1516 during the reign of Sultan Selim I, but unlike other towns in the vicinity it was unable to capitalize on the ensuing period of peace. Today Kozan Kalesi (Castle) is the most conspicuous reminder of its forgotten glory days, and despite its apparent inaccessibility you'll be relieved to learn that it is now perfectly easy to visit since the local authorities have just finished re-cobbling the road right up to the ramparts as part of an attempt to turn the whole mountainside into a large picnic and recreation area. Close up, this huge castle is surprisingly hard to spot, but if you follow the signs to the 19th-century Yaver'in Konağı (Yaver's Mansion), you will find, close by, a pair of crumbling towers that served as a gateway to the lower fortress. From there on all you need do is follow the path.

Shortly after you start the ascent you'll pass a pumping station on the left. Behind it stand the remains of an apse of such seeming insignificance that you could be forgiven for overlooking what the poet John Ash described as the “Armenian Vatican”: the monastery of St. Sophia, seat of the Katholikos (Patriarchate) of Sis from 1293 onwards. Photographs taken at the start of the last century show this as an enormous if very austere building that remained the seat of the Katholikos until 1921 when it was destroyed. In 1930 the Katholikos relocated to Lebanon where it remains today.

Unlike the monastery the castle certainly lives up to expectations, especially if you do things properly and walk all the way up to the top. For the time being the landscaping ends at the castle gate and once you pass through it you emerge into a wasteland of rubble with the towers and royal living quarters jutting up picturesquely but defying anyone other than a mountain goat to enter them. One look at the views and you can appreciate why the medieval rulers would have thought it worth the effort of building up here -- the flat plains all around would have ensured that lookout guards would have been able to see any enemy approaching from miles around.

It's hard to believe that nothing else survives to tell the story of this lost capital, but although the unique design of the 15th-century Hoş Kadem Cami suggests the influence of either the Armenians or the Crusaders and there are plenty of curve-arched doorways in the back streets that hint at a heritage stretching back to the Middle Ages, today's Kozan is mostly a standard Turkish town, growing rapidly and keen to capitalize on its tourism potential. This is most apparent in the market area, where small shops rather like those to be seen in Balat in İstanbul spread out around the bedesten, a covered market dating back to 1904. All the shops are currently being tidied up, restored and repainted to bring new life to an area whose surrounding streets still contain plenty of lovely old houses.

Perhaps the clearest sign that Kozan has its eye on the tourism ball is the fact that the Yaver'in Konağı has been turned into a delightful boutique hotel, perfectly positioned at the foot of the castle and with a large courtyard restaurant that is open to non-residents, too. It's a surprising find in what is still such an out-of-the-way spot, but no doubt we can expect imitators to be joining it soon.

WHERE TO STAY:

You can easily visit Kozan on a day trip from Adana.

Yaver'in Konağı (Konak Otel).

Tel: 0322-515 0999

HOW TO GET THERE:

Regular buses to Kozan leave not from Adana's main bus terminal but from the provincial bus terminal at Yüregir. To get there, take a Belediye bus from the back of the main otogar. It takes an hour and a half to get to Kozan from Yüregir. 

Yaver'in Konağı

 Kozan Kalesi

Kozan Mosque