| Tece Castle | |
|---|---|
Tece Kalesi | |
| Mersin Province,Turkey | |
 Tece Castle from the southwest | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Fortress |
| Location | |
  Tece Castle | |
| Coordinates | 36°43′N34°27′E / 36.717°N 34.450°E /36.717; 34.450 |
| Site history | |
| Built by | Roman Empire (?) |
| Materials | Stone |
| Demolished | Most of it |
Tece Castle (Turkish:Tece Kalesi) is a ruined castle inMersin Province, southernTurkey.
The castle is in theTece suburb ofMezitli which is a secondary municipality ofMersin. Its distance to Mersin city center is about 20 km (12 mi). Although it is close to the state highwayD.400, it is difficult to visit the castle by motor vehicle because it is situated in a citrus plantation.
There is no record about the origin of the castle. However, judging from the architecture, it was probably a lateRoman or aByzantine castle. It was a low elevation castle, and it was built to control the road running parallel to theMediterranean Sea coast. It was also used by theCrusades andArmenian Kingdom of Cilicia, during which the castle underwent renovation.[1]
In June 1981 the American archaeologist and art historian Dr. Robert W. Edwards conducted a formal survey of this site and drew the following conclusions. The rectangular circuit wall and the fragments of its seven small towers were so badly decayed that it was impossible without a formal excavation to deduce the date of construction. However, the surviving portion of the three-storey estate house (keep) is primarily from one period of construction with masonry and architectural features identical to those used during the 12th and 13th centuries in theArmenian Kingdom of Cilicia. It is similar to the nearby medieval site of Kız near theDurak railway station. These sites were built by Armenian masons, perhaps for Crusader occupants.[2]
The area within the now ruined ramparts is 1,560 m2 (16,800 sq ft). Most of the buildings are ruined. The only partially standing building is a three-storydonjon. The length of the eastern wall is 9.60 m (31.5 ft) and its height is 12 m (39 ft). The northern wall is 11.5 m (38 ft) long and 13 m (43 ft) high. The width of the outer wall is 1.50 m (4.9 ft).[1] The masonry of the inner walls is ofashlar blocks and the outer walls ofbossage blocks.[3] The 1981 survey was conducted under the auspices of theUniversity of California at Berkeley.[4]
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