Payas Castle

Can you imagine a giant creature surrounding the sea, protected by the waters around it? That is exactly what the Payas Castle in the Payas district of Hatay looks like! Surrounded by a deep moat, this castle stands like a powerful guardian, protecting itself as in the tales of old. Let us explore the story of this stone giant together.

The Moated Giant Castle

Payas Castle's most striking feature is its complete enclosure by a moat (a deep water ditch surrounding the outer walls of the castle). Very few castles in Anatolia possess such a large and single-piece moat. The castle has eight towers and is located approximately 700 meters from the coast. In the past, this moat was essential to prevent enemies from approaching the castle. If you were a castle, what would you build to protect it? Today, these moats are being restored to revive the castle’s original powerful appearance.

_{Payas Castle}( Hatay Metropolitan Municipality )

From Knights to Ottomans: The History of the Castle

The foundations of this castle were laid in ancient times during the Crusades by the Genoese. At that time, soldiers known as the "Knights of the Temple" kept watch here to secure the route for travelers heading to Jerusalem. However, over time the castle fell into severe disrepair and became a ruin.

When the Ottoman State captured the region, it found the castle’s foundations too damaged to repair. Therefore, between 1567 and 1571, they rebuilt the castle entirely in Ottoman architectural style while remaining faithful to its original plan. The great master Mimar Sinan, while constructing the nearby Sokollu Mehmet Pasha Külliyesi, considered the castle part of this grand design.

What Is Inside the Castle?

Beyond the castle’s massive gate lies a spacious courtyard. Around the courtyard are barracks where soldiers lived, storage rooms for food, and stables for horses. In the center of the courtyard stands a small mosque (a small mosque) and a barracks house, built so that guards could pray. Recent excavations have uncovered the foundations of ancient dwellings within the castle. Recently, this barracks has been converted into a museum. The museum will display old cannonballs found at the castle, ceramic plates and tiles from the Ottoman period.

An Important Station: The Guardhouse and Prison

Payas Castle was not only a defensive structure but also a guardhouse that protected trade caravans. Caravans passing along trade routes were under its protection. But the castle had another role: at certain times it served as a prison. Even our famous national poet Namık Kemal was held here for a time before being exiled. Even in the early years of the Republic, the castle continued to serve as a guardhouse. Today, it stands as a magnificent cultural site open for visitors to explore and learn from.

A Journey Through Time

1567–1571: The Ottoman State rebuilt the ruined castle approximately 450 years ago, restoring it faithfully to its original form by laying stones upon the old foundations.