| Koz Castle | |
|---|---|
| Altınözü,Hatay Province | |
 Koz Castle | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Fortress |
| Open to the public | Yes |
| Location | |
  Koz Castle | |
| Coordinates | 36°6′N36°12′E / 36.100°N 36.200°E /36.100; 36.200 |
| Site history | |
| Built by | Principality of Antioch |
| Materials | Ashlar |
| Demolished | Partly |
Koz Castle (Turkish:Koz Kalesi), orKürşat Castle is a castle in theAltınözü district of theHatay Province ofTurkey, built on a small hill where the Kuseyr Creek starts. It was built by thePrincipality of Antioch out ofashlar.[1] The castle used to have a gate to the north, but this gate no longer exists and the eastern side of the castle has been leveled, with some original barns left. Some bastions of the castle stand to this day.[2]
The formerly knownCursat Castle was first mentioned of in 1133, when taken byFulk, King of Jerusalem.[3] By 1155, the castle came into the possession of theLatin Patriarch of Antioch,Aimery of Limoges, who used the castle as a sanctuary for himself and his treasures, to be known as 'Castrum Patriarchae' (Patriarch's Castle).[3] In 1180, Aimery excommunicated thePrince of AntiochBohemond III, following the orders ofPope Alexander III, for matters in his private life.[3] Bohemond III who was angered by that decision, besieged Cursat untilKing Baldwin IV of Jerusalem intervened.[4]
In 1188, Aimery prevented the troops of the Ayyubid sultanSaladin from attacking Cursat by paying him a sum of money from his treasury. In 1225, the Latin Patriarch of AntiochRainier of Antioch returned to Italy, leavingPhilip in control of the castle of Cursat, where the patriarchal treasury was kept.[5]
Later on,Pope Innocent IV had ordered that the entire church tax revenue fromAntioch andCyprus should be used for the repair and expansion of Cursat for three years, which enhanced its defenses by 1256.[6] Hence, the castle withstood a siege by Mamluk forces led byBaibars in 1268.[3]
After thefall of Antioch, Cursat was surrounded by Muslim-controlled territory. Thecastellan of the castle in the name of the patriarch was a knight named Sir William, who endeavored to maintain friendly contact with the neighboring Muslim emirs, especially with the emirs of Soghr andBagras. Baibars refrained from attacking the castle on the condition that William shared his income with his Muslim neighbors. Later on, William became a monk and left the management of the castle to his father Bastard. On April 13, 1275, the latter was caught in a Mamluk ambush, then imprisoned inDamascus. The castle was later besieged, and finally surrendered on November 14, 1275.[7]
