Located 60 kilometers (37 miles) southwest of Mersin in the district of Erdemli, Kiz Kalesi (meaning Maiden's Castle in Turkish), also known as Deniz Castle, was built on a small island. It is approximately 200 meters (660 feet) away from the shores where the ancient city of Korykos (Corycos or Corycus) lies. Strabon mentions that pirates used the castle as a shelter during the Roman Period. According to Herodotus, the city was founded by a Cypriot prince named Korykos (or Gorgos). In recent studies, it has been determined that the name of this city, which was founded in the 2nd century BC, comes from a water nymph named Korikia.
The region came under Roman rule in 80 BC and was taken over by the Cappadocian king Archelaos in 20 BC. Korykos became a large port city during the Roman and subsequent Byzantine rules. During the Roman period, olive cultivation was developed and it became an olive oil export center. In 479, the Isaurians took control of Korykos and Sebaste. In the 6th century, it was attached to the Tarsus Bishopric, which was connected to the Patriarchate of Antioch. The city was taken over by the Sassanids at the beginning of the 7th century, and by the Arabs at the end of the century. In the 9th and 10th centuries, it belonged to the Seleukeia Theme. Emperor Alexion I built the land castle in 1099. Kiz Castle and Silifke Castle were used for accommodation for those who wanted to go to the holy lands by sea from Constantinople. The area changed hands between the Byzantines and the Armenians in the 12th century. It came under Mamluk rule in 1275, and was taken by Leon IV in 1329. Korykos was captured by the Kingdom of Cyprus in 1361. It was conquered by the Karamanoglu principality In 1448, and finally it fell into the hands of the Ottomans in 1473-74. Over time, Korykos lost its importance and abandoned.
According to an inscription found here, the castle on the island was built by Leon I in 1199. Recycled materials were used in its construction. The sections where rubble stones were used from time to time probably belong to the Lusignan period. There are 8 bastions in the form of triangles, squares and rounds on the 192-meter-long (630 feet) castle wall with loopholes. The entrance to the castle is in the north. There is a well-preserved gallery extending along the western wall and a door opening to the sea from here. During the excavations, a building complex with a chapel was unearthed in the middle of the castle. In addition to mosaics, opus sectile flooring was also applied on the floor. The surrounding rooms open to the central courtyard, where there are also cisterns and workshops located.
Korykos (Corycos) ancient site is located on the land and currently is on the UNESCO Temporary Heritage List. Here, architectural ruins such as the harbor gate, large and small temples, churches, a colonnated street, the entrance gate to the city, and the large and small baths are indicators of the city's wealth. The castle in the ancient city was built in 1099 by Emperor Alexion I.
Other places to visit near Korykos are: the ancient city of Elaiussa Sebaste, Adamkayalar site where 18 reliefs are carved on steep rocks, the mosaics museum of Narlikuyu (ancient Porto Calamie), the Kanlidivane archaeological site, the Aşagi Dünya (Lower World) sinkhole, Korykon Antron (Heaven & Hell sinkholes).
Legend of the Maiden's Castle
According to legend, there was once a king. He consulted a fortune teller to learn the future of his only and beloved daughter. When he learned that his daughter would die from a snake bite, he had this castle built in the middle of the sea for the princess, hoping that this would protect her from such a thing. One day, during a party held for the Princess' birthday, a peasant woman brought a basket of grapes to the king's daughter, but she did not notice the snake that had sneaked into the basket. After the party was over, the princess took the basket to her room and died as a result of the snake's bite. Fate has come true, Fate cannot be escaped! A similar story is told for the Maiden's Tower in Istanbul.