Mamure Castle

Mamure Castle near Anamur in southern Turkey began as a Roman fortification against pirates. Over the centuries it was rebuilt by Byzantines, Cilician Armenians and Seljuks. In the 13th century, Alaeddin Keykubad expanded its walls, and the Karamanids later gave it the name Mamure, meaning “Prosperous.” The Ottomans annexed it in 1475, by which time it had largely acquired its present form. After losing its military role, it served as a caravanserai. The fortress covers 23,500 m² and has 580 metres of outer walls, 39 towers and bastions, and three connected sections: the western Citadel, northern Outer Castle and eastern Inner Courtyard. A mosque and the ruins of a hammam survive in the outer section, while a lighthouse once stood on the south-eastern tower. The walls and towers were built with Khorasan mortar characteristic of Seljuk architecture.

Ghost stories still circulate about Mamure Castle. A woman in white is said to wander its walls, the spirit of someone who died tragically there centuries ago. Visitors report sudden drops in temperature, strange mist in the corridors and the spectral clash of swords and footsteps from long-forgotten battles.