Enez Castle

Enez Castle, an ancient fortress located in the district of Enez, province of Edirne, Turkey, at the point where the Meriç River flows into the Aegean Sea.

The castle, which serves as an open-air museum, is used for events such as festivals and exhibitions. Inside there is a worship structure called the Enez Ayasofyası, which was built as a large church in the Byzantine period and has been used as a mosque since 1455.

History

Although the exact construction date of the castle is not certain, the massive building materials in its walls indicate that it was built before the Byzantine era. It is thought to have been constructed to prevent barbarian raids coming from the Balkans. It is known that in the 6th century the Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian ordered its repair. The pointed Ottoman arches inside point to use during the Ottoman period.

The main entrance of the castle, which extends in a northwest‑southeast direction, is on the northeast. On the wall next to the monumental entrance gate there is a depiction of a Thracian rider in white marble. On the side facing the sea, two curtain walls extend from the castle toward the sea and these walls protect the harbor on the sea side. The walls were built using dressed stone, brick and ancient architectural fragments.

Inside the castle there is a worship structure that is thought to have been built as a basilica in the 12th century and converted into a mosque in 1455, and a small cave whose floor, used as a chapel, is covered with rich mosaics. The reliefs on the cave walls depicting mythological elements have been taken to the Edirne Museum.

The castle today hosts festivals, exhibitions and similar events.

Fatih Mosque

The basilica inside the castle is known as the "Enez Ayasofyası" or Fatih Mosque. It is located at the highest point on the southeast side of the castle. Measuring 21 × 38 m, the building has a Greek Cross plan and was one of the major churches of its time. Constructed with a level of craftsmanship comparable to its contemporaries in Istanbul, the building was converted into a mosque in 1455, was destroyed in the 1965 earthquake and was abandoned. The structure contains wall paintings from both the Byzantine and Ottoman periods.

Enez Ayasofyası was revived with restoration and reconstruction work that began in 2016. In 2021 it was opened both for worship and for visits.