Turkey’s ancient Kahta Castle reopens for tourists – I24NEWS

Turkey’s ancient Kahta Castle was recently restored to its former glory and is now open to tourists who wish to explore the site.

The castle, located in the southeast of the country in Adiyaman province, has just completed an extensive three-stage restoration process, that took over five years.  

“17 years ago, as a result of the rains here in March, a part of the wall of Kahta Castle collapsed and the castle was closed to tourism for security reasons… with the landscaping made here, with the addition of the glass terrace, visitors have become hugely interested in coming,” says Mehmet Alkan, director of the Adıyaman Archaeological Museum.

The castle dates back to the 1st or 2nd century, and was was used by various civilizations over the years, such as the Greco-Iranian Commagenes, the Romans, Byzantines and Mamluks.

The compound is considered to be one of the best preserved castles in the country. It contains the remains of a mosque, bazaar, dungeon and waterways that attract archeology enthusiasts.

“We can see the beautiful architecture here, a very old and beautiful landscape, beautiful views. I’m really impressed about this place, it’s great to be here,” a tourist from Poland says.

The governor of the province told Turkish media that both domestic and foreign tourists are welcome to visit the architectural wonder.