Afyonkarahisar Castle

Castle of Afyonkarahisar
Afyonkarahisar in Turkey
Castle of Afyonkarahisar
Castle of Afyonkarahisar
Coordinates	38.76526°N 30.53801°E / 38.76526; 30.53801
Type	Castle
Site history
Built	1350 BC
Materials	White masonry

The Castle of Afyonkarahisar (Turkish: Afyonkarahisar Kalesi, lit. '"Black Opium Castle" Fortress') is a historical fortification, which was built around 1350 BC and is located in Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.^[1][2] While Afyonkarahisar Castle (Literally: "Black Opium Castle" Fortress) refers specifically to the defensive fortification, Afyonkarahisar refers to the town containing the structure, and was renamed from Afyon to Afyonkarahisar in 2004.^[3]

History

Historical houses built on the slopes of the hill where Afyonkarahisar Castle is located.

Late Bronze

The Hittite king Mursilis II (c. 1320 BCE) built the original structure on the summit of a 226 meter high rock (from ground level) overlooking the modern town of Afyonkarahisar, due to its value as a defensive fortification.^[3]

Later

Since the construction of the original, the castle has been rebuilt several times by various rulers. The most recent reconstruction was conducted by the Turkish government.^{[when?][3][clarification needed]}

References

1. John Garstang, Oliver Robert Gurney: The geography of the Hittite Empire. British Institute of Archaeology at Ankara, 1959, S. 92
2. Heath W. Lowry (1 February 2012). Nature of the Early Ottoman State, The. SUNY Press. pp. 41–. ISBN 978-0-7914-8726-6. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
3. "Afyon Castle | Turkey Attractions". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 2021-03-10.