History and archaeology / Castle
Bitlis Castle
Merkez, Bitlis
The historic castle forming the core of the city of Bitlis, built on a steep rock ridge between two streams and said to have given the city its name.
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Its story
The castle rises on a narrow ridge that drops steeply to both valleys, between the Bitlis Stream and the Kömüs Stream that joins it from the west, clearly showing Bitlis's position controlling this pass. According to a popular legend, it was built by Badlis, one of Alexander the Great's commanders, and the city's name comes from this name; however, the castle's original founding is not known for certain. The walls, repaired many times over the centuries and sometimes demolished and rebuilt, are said to be about 2.8 km long. Old records describe a palace, a mosque and houses in the inner castle and a bazaar and bedesten in the lower castle; of these, mainly the walls have survived. Restoration and excavation work has been carried out intermittently since the 2000s. When visited together with the narrow streets at the foot of the castle, the Ulu Mosque and the Şerefiye Complex, it sums up the historic fabric of Bitlis well.
Key facts
- Period
- Founding not known for certain; Seljuk, Şerefhan and Ottoman repairs
- Getting there
- Central Bitlis, on foot from the bazaar at the foot of the castle
- Visit duration
- 45 minutes–1 hour
Trip purpose
- Photography
- Day trip
Location
38.40169, 42.10751
Reviews
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Source: Web derlemesi (doğrulanmalı): https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitlis_Kalesi | https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/bitlis | https://goturkiye.com/bitlis/see | https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/344737956