Mersin's Kızkalesi: The Floating Fortress of Maiden Castle
Instead of just making a castle on the beach, why not build a floating fortress not far from shore?
Going to the beach with friends was a delightful way to enjoy the summer weather! I definitely recommend going to Kızkalesi, or Maiden Castle, whenever you have the chance. It is located in the Mersin Province of Turkey. Because not only will you get the chance to enjoy the clear Mediterranean water and beautiful sandy shore, but you also will have the chance to enjoy viewing from a distance or in person a castle surrounded by the sea!
It was such a wonderful day with friends playing games on the beach, talking under the shade of the umbrellas, slipping into the Mediterranean to cool off, laying out to get a healthy amount of sun for my needy tan lines, and don’t forget exploring the Maiden Castle off the coast!
You could even get a bird’s eye view of the castle and the beaches by taking the local vendors up on their offer of a parachute tour via boat of the area. I watched people go on the tours throughout the afternoon and I think it would have been really fun to experience everything from above. Since we had a big group the best way for us all to enjoy the castle together was to ride the ferry. The ferry was large enough to carry a good number of passengers but also small enough so travelers could see things from any side of the boat without much effort.
Legend has it that the castle is called Maiden Castle because it is said to have been used in the past to keep princesses safe from pirates. I found this to be interesting because I feel like pirates would have more of an advantage to steal things that were surrounded by water. But I haven’t seen pirates fight it out against a castle. There is another legend that says the castle was built to protect a princess who was doomed to die by snakebite. Apparently the snake made it to the island via a fruit basket, so the princess was not able to escape her fate.
Wandering across the wide courtyard, through tiny passageways into towers, and along the walls of the castle was delightful. Looking out from the rooftop at breathtaking views was beautiful. The setting sun gave everything even more of a lovely glow. I really enjoyed being able to watch the moon rest above the peaceful coastal horizon.
From the castle I could more clearly see the outlay of the less rebuilt ruins of the ancient coastal city. I really wanted to explore the ruins personally but we ran out of time. So maybe next time I’ll get my fill of looking out over the ocean from atop some ancient ruins!
TO OUR FRIENDS IN THE WEST, KEEP LOOKING EAST!
Written By: Serena Swords
Photography By: Serena Swords and Hannah Greer
Serena Swords
A self-proclaimed “Calitexoman” (hailing from California, Texas, and Oklahoma), Serena is an eclectic mix of all of the places she has called home. Her most recent domicile is Norman, Oklahoma where she is a student at The University of Oklahoma studying International Relations and Administration. In laymen’s terms that means “event planner of the world,” as she hopes to connect businesses cross-culturally. Serena loves traveling, exploring new places, and most of all making new friends. While her impressive 5’10” frame makes the opposing volleyball team shake like a leaf, those of us that know her well love her affable demeanor and profoundly positive perspective on life. After you have explored all of her work on West2East and Explore Adana, you can find her personal work here.