Keçi Castle

Keçi Castle

This castle, which is located at an altitude of 300 m in Alaman Mountain, which is 9 km away from Selçuk district of İzmir province, was named Keçi Castle because of the difficulty of climbing. This castle, also known as Kızılhisar, is a surveillance and control castle that keeps the Sardes road under control at a point overlooking the Menderes Plain. The name of this castle in the Hellenistic period, later Roman and Byzantine periods has not been found in historical sources. The castle was built in the Hellenistic period (300 BC-20 AD) and was later used by the Roman, Byzantine and Seljuks. Rubble stone and brick were also used in the castle, which was built in a rectangular plan made of cut stone. Lime mortar was used in the masonry during the Byzantine period. The castle consists of two parts, the inner and outer castle. Rectangular towers are placed on both sides of the entrance gate. There are warehouses in the north of the inner castle. It is not possible to date the castle precisely because there are no inscriptions and decoration details, and since it is not mentioned in written sources. The castles in the Latmos region (around the Bafa Lake) show similarities in terms of detail constructions with their overall character. The castle can be dated to the Laskaris Period in the 13th century. Although the Byzantine name of the castle is not known, it is known that it is called Kızılhisar. The exit to the castle is easiest from the north and takes about an hour, following a medieval road made of limestone blocks in places. There is a Hellenistic cistern on the road to the Hellenistic Castle on the north side of the Keçi Castle.