Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
on the beach, where sea turtles come in summer to lay their eggs; the castle's front end al-
most reaches the highway.
The 13th-century castle was constructed by the rulers of the Armenian kingdom of Cili-
cia on the site of a 3rd-century Roman fortress. Karamanoğlu Mehmet Bey took Mamure
in 1308 and alterations began, including the addition of a
mosque
in the eastern court-
yard. Here you'll also see remnants of an
aqueduct
that brought water from the moun-
tains 5km away, a
stable
, and the holes in the walls that served as the
guards' barracks
.
To the west is the
Kaleiçi
(castle interior), where the top brass lived.
Climbing the castle's
towers
, especially the one with a dungeon, is an adventure; some
stairs are pretty crumbled. Your reward is a view of the sea and the ruins of
Softa Castle
(Softa Kalesi), also built by the Armenian rulers of Cilicia (near Bozyazı, some 18km to
the east).
| Museum
ANAMUR MUSEUM
(Anamur Müzesi; Adnan Menderes Caddesi 3; 8.30am-5pm)
Highlights here are archaeological
finds from Anemurium, including frescoes from private houses, bathhouse mosaics and an
unusual clay sarcophagus. Look for the iron scales in the shape of a woman.
Detour:
Narlıkuyu and Caves of Heaven & Hell
On a cove 5km southwest of Kızkalesi is the village of Narlıkuyu. Inside its
Mosaic Museum
(Mozaik Müzesi)
,
in a compact 4th-century Roman bath, is a wonderful mosaic of the Three Graces: Aglaia, Thalia and Euphrosyne,
the daughters of Zeus.
Absolute waterfront restaurants include the
Kerim
(mains
"
15-25)
near the museum, and the
Narlıkuyu
(mains
"
15-25)
on the opposite side of the cove.
Near Narlıkuyu, a road winds north for 3km to several
caves
(admission
"
5;
8am-7pm)
- sinkholes carved
out by a subterranean river and places of great mythological significance.
The
Chasm of Heaven
(Cennet Mağarası) - an underground cavern 200m long, 90m wide and 70m deep - is
reached via 450-odd steps to the left of the car park. Near a landing not far from the cave mouth is the 5th-century
Byzantine
Chapel of the Virgin Mary
, used for a short time in the 19th century as a mosque.
Running off this large cavern is the
Cave of Typhon
(Tayfun Mağarası), a damp, jagged-edged, devilish theatre.
Locals believe this to be a gateway to the eternal furnace and Strabo mentions it in his
Geography
. According to le-
gend, the cave's underground river connects with the hellish River Styx.
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