Eskihisar Castle

Eskihisar Castle is a historic structure located in the Eskihisar neighborhood of the Gebze district of Kocaeli. Eskihisar Castle was built on a steep hill north‑east of Eskihisar Village in ancient times to keep the passage south of the İzmit Bay under control and to protect the harbor, and according to estimates Eskihisar Castle was constructed during the Byzantine Empire.

History

Georgios Akropolite first mentioned Eskihisar Castle in 1241. It is also recorded in history because of the Palekanon War. During the period when the Latin Empire dominated the region, the name of this castle was frequently mentioned. At that time Emperor III. Ionidis of Nicaea conquered the Kocaeli peninsula and the castles there. According to these events, Eskihisar Castle is understood to have existed in 1241. Eskihisar Castle and its walls were built in three phases. The inner walls of the castle were built by I. Manuel Komnenos (1143‑1180) in the 12th century; the castle’s curtain walls were built by Emperor II. Ducas‑Vatatzes of Nicaea in 1241; the outer walls and the southeast corner tower were built during the Palaiologos period (1261‑1453), around the year 1300.

Architectural structure

Eskihisar Castle consists of two parts, inner and outer. It has a rectangular plan. The entrance of the castle, reinforced by four semicircular and six rectangular towers, is between two towers. In addition, there are six more gates, three in the courtyard and three in the outer courtyard. These towers were built without embrasures.

Bricks and roughly cut stone were used in the construction of the castle. Wall thicknesses vary between 1.50‑1.60 m. In some places of the walls it has been observed that after two or three rows of bricks, a row of stone is placed. The stone rows have gained a dynamic façade appearance by bricks placed vertically and horizontally on both sides. In some sections of the walls the stone rows are surrounded on all sides by bricks. It especially appeared during the late Byzantine period, the Palaiologan era (1261‑1453), and this type of wall workmanship is also seen in Istanbul at the Blachernae Palace and the Edirnekapi walls.

The outer walls of Eskihisar Castle have not been given as much value as the inner walls; therefore only rubble stones were used and no bricks were employed. A significant portion of the outer walls, thought to have been built during the Palaiologan period, has been demolished and removed.