Ankara Castle () is a historic fortification in the city of
Ankara
Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and List of national capitals by area, the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( ...
,
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
, constructed in or after the 7th century. The earliest fortification on the site was constructed in the 8th century BC by the
Phrygians and rebuilt in 278 BC by the
Galatians. The castle was rebuilt or renovated under the
Roman,
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...
,
Seljuk, and
Ottoman Empires.
History and architecture
The castle is composed of an inner line of walls with closely spaced towers that encloses an area of about 350 m by 150 m, and an outer line of walls with towers some 40 m apart. Both sets of walls were constructed using large quantities of reused masonry. The exact dates of their construction are uncertain, but both postdate the capture and destruction of Ankara by the Persians in, probably, 622 AD (Foss considers that the inner walls may date from the reign of
Constans II; the outer walls are generally believed to have been erected slightly later.).
[Clive Foss, ''Late Antique and Byzantine Ankara'' in Dumbarton Oaks Papers Vol. 31 (1977), pp. 70-72.]
Ankara asv2021-10 img30 Kale and Citadel.jpg, Aerial view of Kale (Altındağ
Altındağ is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Ankara Province, Turkey. Its area is 123 km2, and its population is 413,994 (2022). It covers the northeastern part of the city of Ankara. Its elevation is .
Demographics
...
) and the Citadel
Ankara asv2021-10 img31 Citadel.jpg, The clock tower and the main gate
Ankara asv2021-10 img28 Citadel.jpg, Dungeon Tower
Ankara Şark Kalesi in 2011 02.jpg, Ankara Castle Eastern Castle
Ankara asv2021-10 img33 Citadel.jpg, Ak Kale
Ankara asv2021-10 img34 Sultan Alaeddin Mosque.jpg, Sultan Alaeddin Mosque
Ankara asv2021-10 img61 Citadel.jpg, View of the Castle from the Hacı Bayram Mosque Park
See also
*
History of Ankara
References
External links
Ankara Castle (in Turkish)150+ pictures of citadel and views around itMunicipality of Ankara
{{Authority control
Castles in Turkey
Buildings and structures in Ankara
Forts in Turkey
Tourist attractions in Ankara
Byzantine fortifications in Turkey
Altındağ, Ankara
Military history of Ankara