Kilitbahir Castle/Fortress

Just down the peninsula from us is the narrowest part of the Marmara sea also known as the Dardanelle strait or the Hellespont depending on where the person you ask comes from. The straight is 1500m or so wide. When cannon were able to reach 800 m range in the 1400's the Ottomans realized they could control all traffic through the seaway with fortifications on either shore. They built matching fortifications on either side with unique cloverleaf pattern castle keeps.

1. The best view of either one is from the ferry back toward Kilibahir.

2. If you look closely, you can see the latest in fighter technology doing a flyover of the penninsula just before the March 18 memorials.   An odd contrast of cutting edge 1450s technology and a 20th century fighter jet.

3. The inner keep is in the throes of reconstruction and is closed, but the grounds are accessible as are the walls.

 

4. the Turks have a different view of public safety around these ruins this faded sign and about a half dozen more replace the nanny state guardrails you'd find elsewhere.

 

 

5. There is good reason for the signs. Count the steps in the stairs.. It is a long way up on weathered stone steps to a 1 m wide "widow's walk" inside the castellations at the top.