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Beside these two castles,
you will have the opportunity to see the aqueducts, cistern, and
basilicas during the Byzantine era and necropolis which is a
graveyard of the ancient town. The city where the castles were
located has lived through the era of the Roman and the Byzantine.
The castle on shore which is the Korykos was originally built by the
Romans as an entrance to the sea. There are various accompaniments
in the castle during the Byzantine era. The castle was rectangular
in shape and is made up of an inner and outer wall. The way in to
the castle can be achieved trough a mobile bridge which is not
present anymore. The interior courtyard of the castle has a large
hall, basilicas of different sizes, and a cistern.
The fortress on the sea which is known as The Maiden Castle was
built in 1104 by the Byzantine admiral Eustathious. It is located on
a small island at the entry of the old harbor. It is about 200 yards
away from the shore and was initially connected to the mainland by a
land bridge. Here, you can find watch towers on its walls, a
reservoir and in the courtyard you will see a Byzantine basilica.
The castle of Kizkalesi has an interesting tale just like most of
the castles here in Turkey.
The tale of the castle started when a fortune teller told the king
of Korykos that his only and most loved daughter would be killed
through a bite of a snake. The king decided to built his castle in
the sea and let his daughter live in the castle in order to prevent
the dreadful fate of his daughter. But unfortunately even the king
can’t change what is destined to happen. A snake was brought into
the island through a basket filled with fruits bit his daughter and
died. The same tale was also told for the Kizkalesi in Istanbul
which was built on the Bosphorus which serve as a light house to
guide ships.
Kizkalesi is a wonderful resort wherein you can spend your vacation.
This place has fine sandy beaches with great motels and hotels that
you stay during your visit. It also has seafood restaurants, bars
and campsites.
If you decide to visit the castles, there is a minimal entrance fee
and you can go to the castle in the sea by boat which also has a
charge per person or if you are in a group trip you can rent a
paddle boats to reach the castle.
Kizkalesi is the most popular area in Mersin which is ideal for
families, couples and single travelers. The town is near in
different attractions such as the Narlikiyu which homes fine seafood
restaurants and a small museum that showcases the Roman mosaic of
the Three Graces. And adjacent to this place are the chasms of
Cennet- Cehennem which means heaven and hell, the Wishing Cave that
is full with stalagmites and stalactites. You can visit the ruins of
a 5th century chapel, in the cave named Heaven.
And up the hills beyond the Kizkalesi you can visit the Adamkayalar
where you can find a well preserved tombs and a view of the Devil’s
Valley of the Mediterranean Sea.
With all these beautiful attractions that Kizkalesi has to offer,
this place is the perfect choice to spend your holiday together with
your loved ones. Kizkalesi calls its visitors through the beautiful
sea, sand and history. This place offers a fantastic moment with
nature and a part of the ancient times of Turkey that is worth
remembering.
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