Akkale
| Akkale | |
 Spiral staircase in Akkale | |
 .svg.png){kind=icon} Shown within Turkey | |
| Alternate name | (Tırtar Akkele) |
|---|---|
| Location | Erdemli, Mersin Province, Turkey |
| Region | Cilicia Trachea |
| Coordinates | 36°22′N 34°13′E / 36.367°N 34.217°ECoordinates: 36°22′N 34°13′E / 36.367°N 34.217°E |
| Type | Palace (?) |
| Site notes | |
| Archaeologists | Semavi Eyice |
| Condition | In ruins |
Akkale (literally "white castle") is the popular name given to ruins of a building complex in Kumkuyu town of Erdemli district, Mersin Province, Turkey
Geography
Akkale (also called Tırtar Akkale where Tırtar is the former name of Kumkuyu) is situated to south west of Kumkuyu at 36°32′N 34°13′E / 36.533°N 34.217°E. Its distance to Erdemli is 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) and to Mersin is 51 kilometres (32 mi). The buildings are accessible by a short lane from the Turkish state highway 
. The distance to Mediterranean Sea coast is about 250 metres (820 ft).
History
The original name of the site is not known. But it was a port administration complex of the Roman Empire built in the 4th century. However, according to Turkish archaeologist Semavi Eyice the main building may be the palace of Archelaus of Cappadocia who lived in the first century and was known to spend summers in Cilicia.[1] A part of the buildings were repaired during the Byzantine era probably after the great earthquakes of the 6th century.
Technical details
Although the popular name Akkale means "White castle", actually the complex is not a castle. It consists of the ruins of big building which was once a five-story building, a small single-dome building and a large cistern. The five story building is rightfully called palace (Turkish: Akkale sarayı), for it was used both as the office and the lodging building of the governor. The corbels which are on all sides of the building indicate the existence of a now completely-demolished balcony which circumscribed the building. The main staircase of the building was a spiral staircase. The small building was the treasury office and the office documents were kept in the basement of the building. The cistern is one of the biggest cisterns of Cilicia with over 17,000 square metres (180,000 sq ft). It was used to sell water to ships.[2]
References
- ↑ Arik, Osman; Çalışkan, Mehmet; Aydın, Ayşe; Aydınoğlu, Ümit; Kerem, Filiz, eds. (2009) [2007]. Mersin: Ören Yerleri, Kaleleri, Müzeleri [Mersin: Oren Places, Castles, Museums] (in Turkish). Prepared by Filiz Kerem; Photographs by Selami Türk; Graphic design by Tanrtim Sanatlari (First ed.). Istanbul: Ekin Grubu (2007, first edition); İl Özel İdaresi (2009 edition). ISBN 978-605-4196-07-4. OCLC 805652523. ISBN (invalid as printed in first edition) 975-585-787-9. Archived from the original on June 4, 2014. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
- ↑ Mersin Tourism page (Turkish)
