Belenkeşlik Castle

Belenkeşlik Castle, locally known as Belenkeşlik Kalesi, lies in the village of the same name, in the province of Mersin in Turkey.

The castle is situated in a region called Cilicia, which was the area of an Armenian kingdom between the end of the 11th century until the late 14th century. As with most of the fortifications in this area, neither its medieval name nor its history are known.

Belenkeşlik is more like a fortified estate house than a true castle. It is an Armenian construction, most probably built in the late 12th or 13th century. It probably served as the center of an agricultural district and housed the local baron with his family.

The castle consists of a single rectangular keep with a single ground level entrance in its southwest wall. There is no evidence that it was ever protected by an outer wall.

At present Belenkeşlik Castle can freely be visited. In recent years, the area around the castle has been turned into a small public park with picnic spots. You can enter the castle and go up to the second floor. A nice castle.

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