Şeytan Castle

Şeytan Castle, locally known as Şeytan Kalesi, lies on a cliff in a remote canyon of the river Kura, north of the village of Yildirimtepe, in the province of Ardahan in Turkey.

The name Şeytan Kalesi translates to 'Devil's Castle'.

When Şeytan Castle was built is not known. It is supposed to have been founded during Urartian rule, due to its architectural features. The present castle however is thought to date back to the 13th century when Georgian kings ruled the area. It probably served as a border fortress.

I was not able to find any further historical information about this castle. If you know more, please mail me.

During its history Şeytan Castle was situated in an area ruled by Medes, Persians, Macedonians, Romans, Sassanians, Georgians, Seljuks, Ilkhanids, Karakoyunlus (Black Sheep Turkomans), Akkoyunlus (White Sheep Turkomans), Safavids and the Ottomans. All these rulers probably used the castle and adapted it to their wishes.

Large sections of wall, the keep, and the entrance gate are still standing. Inside the castle walls are remains of a cistern and a chapel. It has similar machicolations at the top of the wall of the keep, like Kinzi Castle. The castle has suffered from illegal treasure hunting due to a legend that tells that a daughter of a Georgian king was buried somewhere inside the castle, together with gold and other treasures.

Şeytan Castle is freely accessible. There was a new dead end road being made, going from the village in the direction of the castle, probably because it is attracting quite a number of visitors. But I think that even when it is finished, you will still have to walk a mountainous footpath for 15 minutes or so. A fantastic castle, a must-see if you are in the area.

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