Çandır Castle is a castle located within the borders of the Toroslar district of Mersin province in Türkiye, on the summit of a dominant plateau at an altitude of 1450 meters, 7 kilometers east of Ayvagediği Plateau, northwest of Çandır Village. The castle holds a strategic position near the junction of two important roads coming from Central Anatolia. These roads converge on the route coming from Lampron via the Ereğli-Evciler path and descend southward. Situated along the southern route, the castles of Sinap, Gözne, and Belenkeşlik, together with Çandır Castle, form a military defense system.

^{Çandır Castle (Türkiye Kültür Portalı)}

History

The history of the castle dates back to periods earlier than the Armenian settlement. Armenian traveler Léonce Alishan identified the structure as a Byzantine castle named Papirion or Papourion. According to Stilite Joshua, Emperor Zeno entrusted the castle to his friend Illus, treasures were placed there, and Prince Marcinus was exiled there. This narrative is dated to the year 479.

The castle was captured by the Hetum dynasty at the end of the 11th century and was recorded as the property of the Hetums throughout the Middle Ages. Baron Smbat died fighting alongside the Byzantine army in 1151/1152; afterward, his son Bakuran took over the administration of Paperon. At the end of the 13th century, the castle came under the rule of the Mamluks, then briefly the Karamanids, before being conquered by Sultan Bayezid in the mid-14th century.

Architectural Structure and Entrance System

Access to the castle is via a two-stage staircase system on the northeast facade, consisting of approximately 122 steps. The first section faces north, and the second section faces south. At the end of the stairs, there is a second door reached through a closed passage. Gate B is a semi-circular arch and is designed as a guardroom with loophole windows on the east facade. This double-tiered, zigzag entrance system has only been identified at Çandır Castle among the castles in the Cilicia region.

^{Çandır Castle (Türkiye Kültür Portalı)}

Inner Castle and Building Complex

Architectural structures within the inner castle are mostly concentrated in the northwest section. The southeast section contains a few building ruins along with a heavily damaged church and a sarcophagus. The castle is built on the main rock and, due to valleys surrounding it, city walls are only placed on the northern and western facades.

Church

The eastern facade of the church is the most intact part. It has a rectangular plan oriented east-west. The apse, pastophoria chambers, and part of the south wall have survived to the present day. According to an inscription on the south wall (which is now only partially preserved), the church was built in 1251 by the castle’s guard Smbat, brother of King Hetum I, in memory of his father.

The church is constructed of finely cut stone. The stones feature bossage technique seen since the Hellenistic period. The adjacent apse annex of the church draws attention with its khachkar (cross-stone) reliefs and loophole windows inside. The stairs leading to the pastophoria chambers believed to be located on the upper floor have not survived.