Tokmar Castle

Tokmar Kalesi from northeast

Tokmar Kalesi (also Castellum Novum ) is a medieval castle in the district of the Turkish province of Mersin Silifke.

Location

From the coast road D- 400 Silifke to Antalya branches about 25 miles behind Taşucu right a road to the west, the mountain into serpentines. After another five kilometers left hand, is about 150 meters from the castle ruins to leading a navigable path. Tokmar Kalesi situated at an altitude of about 400 meters to the southeast on a vertically -terminating spur, the Kale Tepesi, about two kilometers northwest of the community Akdere, 25 kilometers southwest of the county seat. To the north of the mountain spur connects to a saddle on the ridge Akcali Dağları. The castle is ( probably about castle to the harbor ) mentions 1490 as a landmark under the name lo chastel chamandrachi in PORTOLAN Rizo. In the Asia Minor Map of Richard Kiepert it is registered as a castle Palaea, indicating membership in the four km eastern ancient port Palaiai. This was located in a shallow bay in which today Barbaros Koyu or Tahta Limanı mentioned place and is visible from Tokmar Kalesi from.

History

The castle can be dated only on the basis of architecture compare to the end of the 12th century. It can therefore be classified into a group kleinarmenischer castles whose role model is Yılankale in the Cilician Plain. Tokmar Kalesi is the instance of this type at the westernmost. Presumably, it is identical with the castle Norpert ( New Castle), which is mentioned in the years 1199 and 1210 as the property of Sevasdios Heri. 1210 gave the Armenian King Leon II the fortress under the name Novum Castellum together with city and citadel of Silifke to the Hospitallers. In return he received armed support of 400 knights in the fight against the Seljuks as well as an annual payment. While Silifke Kalesi 1226 was returned to the Armenians, is about the fate of Norpert not known. From the scope and internal buildings close Hans Gerd Helle Kemper and Friedrich Hild, on their Kilikienreise the castle visited in the early 1980s, that it is a noble castle (now Yesilovacik ) dominated the area west of Seleucia on Calycadnus ( Silifke ) to the Gulf of Ovacik.

Castle

The polygonal enclosure follows the conditions of the terrain and encloses an area of about 50 × 70 meters. On the north side, four semi-circular bastions are obtained from the intervening curtains, large parts collapsed or re-used. The curtains have a wall thickness of 1.50 meters and are, as well as the bastions, double shell built of ashlar limestone. From the catwalks only small traces can be seen, battlements and parapets are crashed. In the upper floors of the bastions simple shooting slots are available. On the east side the remains of a ramp-like kennel can be seen from the outside walls only the foundations remain. The local Haupttorfront and the gate are also passed. In the southeastern part of the interior remains of a residential building can be seen, there more formerly existing buildings are destroyed.