Çimenlik Castle (Kale-i Sultaniye)

Çimenlik Kalesi, also known as Kale-i Sultaniye, is situated on a flat area on the Anatolian shore of the Çanakkale Strait, near the mouth of the Sarıçay River, at the strait’s narrowest point. The fortress was commissioned by Fatih Sultan Mehmet in 1462 following the conquest of Istanbul to secure the safety of the strait. On the opposite shore, on the European side, lies Kilitbahir Kalesi.

^{Çimenlik Kalesi} (Çanakkale Governorate)

The fortress has a rectangular plan measuring approximately 110 by 160 metres. The structure consists of outer walls and a large central keep. The outer walls are reinforced with polygonal and circular towers. At the corners of the walls stand towers, one of which on the eastern side is twelve-sided and the other is round. The towers on the western side are circular internally and have been buried beneath the earth.

The central keep measures approximately 30 by 42 metres and stands 20 metres high. This three-storey building was constructed at the same height as the walls. The arsenal located between the outer walls is circular in plan, with an internal diameter of 5 metres and wall thickness of 2.28 metres. The arsenal has no external windows.

Inside the fortress there are two mosques. The first, Fatih Camii, was built during the fortress’s construction and adjoins the tower on the northern facade. The upper part of its minaret collapsed over time and was later reconstructed. The second mosque was commissioned by Sultan Abdülaziz between 1861 and 1876 and is located in the south-western corner of the central keep. In addition, the complex includes an arsenal and barracks used for military purposes.

^{Çimenlik Kalesi} (Anadolu Agency)

Over the centuries, the fortress has undergone various repairs and strengthening efforts. Major renovations and reinforcements were carried out during the reign of Kanuni Sultan Süleyman in 1551, during the Cretan War in the 17th century, and during the reign of III. Selim in the 18th century. In the 19th century, the western curtain walls, corner towers, and part of the north-western walls were demolished and replaced by artillery emplacements. These emplacements contain a total of four bonnets (gun shelters). The bonnets were constructed of rubble stone and brick, with their surfaces facing the fortress covered in cut stone.

^{Çimenlik Kalesi} (Çanakkale Governorate)

During World War I, in the course of the 1915 Çanakkale Battles, Çimenlik Kalesi served as the command and control centre of the Central Defence Group. On 18 March 1915, a shell fired from the British battleship HMS Queen Elizabeth struck the northern curtain wall, creating a hole approximately 2 metres in diameter. The shell failed to explode and remained embedded within the wall. This shell is still preserved in situ today.

Today, Çimenlik Kalesi functions as a military museum. The museum exhibits cannons from various periods, cannon transport vehicles, anti-tank weapons, mines, and fragments from a German submarine recovered from the strait. The structure has survived to the present day largely retaining its original architectural features.