Tece Castle

Tece Castle, locally known as Tece Kalesi, lies in the countryside near the hamlet of Seymenli, in the province of Mersin in Turkey.

Tece 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.

Deduced from the remaining architectural evidence, the castle was a garrison fort / fortified estate house, most probably built by Armenian masons for the Knights Hospitaller during the Crusades in the 13th century. What remains is a ruined keep and scant remains of a surrounding rectangular circuit wall. Thus, it probably was a fief given by the Armenians to the Latins.

The primary purpose of Tece Kalesi was to offer a secure haven to the baron of the district and his garrison, while protecting the strategic coastal road and maybe a crossing over a nearby stream. Secondarily, it served as a place of refuge for any tenants in times of trouble.

At present Tece Castle can freely be visited. The site is however a bit difficult to reach as it is situated in the midst of several citrus groves and it is quite overgrown itself. Still a nice remnant of a keep.

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