Canca Castle

Canca Castle, locally known as Canca Kalesi, lies above the city of Gümüşhane, in the province of Gümüşhane in Turkey.

When Canca Castle was founded is unknown. During the existence of the Empire of Trebizond (1204–1461), the castle was at times the seat of the Tzanichitai, an important noble family.

After Alexios III Megas Komnenos was crowned Emperor of Trebizond in 1349, there were still some rebellious nobles who contested his right to the throne in a civil war. One of them was Alexios' cup-bearer, John I Tzanichites, who had forcibly retaken his ancestral castle, then known as "Tzanicha". So, in 1352, Alexios led a punitive campaign against John and retook the castle.

In 1479 the castle was taken by Ottoman forces. They may have used the castle afterward to protect their 16th-century mint in the town that would later become the city of Gümüşhane and their silver mines in the surrounding area, during the 17th century.

Canca is situated on a rocky spur, towering above the valley. It consists of 2 consecutive baileys in front of the inner castle. In the inner castle are the ruins of 2 chapels, of which the eastern one has a cistern beneath it.

Canca Castle can freely be visited. I liked the castle ruins, but I loved the mountainous location.

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