BIKE CLASSICAL: Korykos (Part 2): Corycus North Harbor Castle [Kiz Kalesi], and Corycus South Harbor Castle [Maiden Castle]

Photos by Jack A. Waldron

Ancient Korykos, or Corycus (36°27'58.8"N 34°09'25.6"E), is located only three kilometers south of ancient Elaiussa Sebaste, however, structures from antiquity can be found along the whole length of the ancient road that connected the two cities. Pictured above, this is the Southwest Sea Gate into Kiz Kalesi, or 'Girl Castle' (36°27'46.9"N 34°09'02.3"E), the mainland fortress that protected the North Outer Harbor of Korykos, and worked in partnership with the southern fortress known as Meidan's Castle (36°27'24.7"N 34°08'51.5"E), which was once connected to the mainland by a breakwater that protected the South Harbor of Korykos.

This is one ancient city that initially didn't really excite me, because I see it as a destroyed, pillaged, abomination of the beautiful Classical city it once was. In the walls of this castle we find the body parts of magnificent Hellenistic and Roman temples, columns that once stood tall now turned on their sides within Byzantine and Armenian constructions. Pictured below, a few of the antiquities that escaped the rape and pillaging of a once golden city.

The city is believed to have been founded by a Cypriot prince named either Gorgos, or Korykos, and is mentioned as a city in Cilicia by the ancient historian Herodotus. We know that the city was part of the Seleucid Empire, but was briefly held by the Egyptians prior to being taken back in 197 BCE, and continued to be part of the Seleucid Empire until the defeat of Antiochus III the Great by the Roman fleet in 191 BCE at Korykos/Corycus. There is also evidence that the Hittites valued this location, and that the history of this coast is mentioned in the Old Testament.

The Cilician coast was infested with sea pirates during the Seleucid rule, and there were also raiders who came down from the Taurus mountains, namely, the Isaurians. Therefore, Korykos became an important city for the Romans, who wished to have uninterrupted trade in the eastern Mediterranean. Following the Roman naval victory at the Battle of Korykos/Corycus in 191 BCE, the Romans gained control of the city, and protected it by keeping a large fleet in its north and south harbors, but for how long and during which periods they controlled it is somewhat murky. The greater area of Cilicia would not fall under Roman rule until 31 BCE, following the Battle of Actium, however, the Roman General Pompey defeated the Seleucid army in Syria, which implies an earlier influence over the city. Pictured below, I have just entered the Castle to find a much larger area than I expected. The topography of the Castle interior was also unexpected, with its hills and slopes being concealed from the outside by the high walls surrounding the complex.

So, the period between the Battle of Korykos/Corycus in 191 BCE, and the annexation of Cilicia by Rome in 31 BCE, demands more clarity. Following the death of Antiochus IV Epiphanes in late 164 BCE, in 163 BCE Ptolemaeus of Commagene declared the Kingdom of Commagene independent from the Seleucid Empire, and himself king. From that point, the city of Korykos/Corycus fell under his rule. Pictured below, I popped my head outside the high West Wall that rises above the West Inner Harbor (west side of the castle) and the North Outer Harbor (which is north of the Maidan Castle and the South Harbor). In the photo, you can see the high West Inner Wall, and the lower West Outer Wall, while in between them is a moat that was filled with sea water, and in addition, small ships could enter the moat through the Southwest Sea Gate to deliver supplies, which would have been very useful if the castle was under siege by land.

The newly independent Kingdom of Commogene was more amenable to Rome, often allying with Rome, and being a Hellenistic state, I suspect that they slowly found themselves more culturally related to Rome than with the Seleucid Empire, Armenia, or Parthia. From 163 BCE, the Kingdom of Commagene gradually became more dependent on Rome, even accepting and appointing Roman Client Kingships. Pictured below, we see the Maiden Castle as viewed through a hole in the Castle West Wall. As previously mentioned, during ancient times the Maiden Castle was connected to the mainland by a breakwater, which protected the South Harbor from the open sea.

Though Cilicia was annexed by Pompey for Rome in 64 BCE, and reorganize by Julius Caesar in 47 BCE, the coast was still dominated by pirates. In 25 BCE, Roman Emperor Augustus granted control of Cilicia Trachea to Archelaus III, King and Roman Client Ruler of Cappadocia, as well as a descendent of the Archelaus family of High Priests and Roman Client Rulers of ancient Comana Chryse. This gift included control of Korykos/Corycus and Elaiussa Sebaste, the later of which became his center of power, as he founded Sebaste opposite of Elaiussa, and transferred his palace to the new Elaiussa Sebaste.

The Kingdom of Cilicia, including Korykos/Corycus, lost independence to Rome in 30 BCE due to its support of Mark Antony against Emperor Augustus. However, the kingdom was restored in 20 BCE, and would last until 17 CE, when Emperor Tiberius abolished the Roman Client Rule of the territory (withstanding a handful of Client Kings who remained in power), but basically, Cilicia became a Roman Province. The arched opening you see in the photos above and below is located along the high West Inner Wall of the fortress, and gave access to the sea moat and the Inner West Harbor. I will refer to this arched opening as the West Inner Harbor Gate.

In 72 CE, Emperor Vespasian ended the remaining three Client Ruler positions in Cilicia, and merged these kingdoms with the Imperial Province of Cilicia. The rocks going out into the water that you see through the arched opening in the photo above are part of the original breakwater that once protected the North Outer Harbor from the open sea.

Pictured above and below, this is the massive Southwest Sea Gate that allowed access to the moat, and to both the South Inner Harbor and the West Inner Harbor. I am curious how access through the gate was closed or sealed?

I imagine a wooden or iron gate swinging down and covering the Southwest Sea Gate from the inside, which could have then be locked in place. I wish I would have taken more time to inspect the walls inside the gate for any wear, or holes for beam placement or locking bolts.

In the photo below, I am looking back toward the main road while standing on the lower Outer West Wall, and inside to the right, the moat and Inner West Harbor, the high Inner West Wall, and the West Inner Harbor Gate.

Pictured below is a direct look at the Inner West Harbor Gate, and as you can see there are lines of holes that stretch out from the foot of the gate on both sides in the lower portion of the wall. Wooden beams would have been put in these holes to create a platform, or wharf, to which boats could tie up and unload.

Also of interest are the mini entablature and stylobate protrusions on either side of the Inner West Harbor Gate, which were probably intended to display statues. In the photo below, this is a view across the south end of the fortress, the moat, and various buildings within. The massive two or three story structure at the southeast corner of the fortress is most certainly a defensive tower, but it also has some interesting cathedral like vaulted ceilings that point to other usages for the structure.

In the photo above, I am standing on the lower South Outer Wall at the Southwest Sea Gate, and as you can see, the large moat on the south side of the Castle was also navigable during ancient times, and from now I will refer to this as the South Inner Harbor.

Korykos/Corycus (and to a lesser extent, Elaiussa Sebaste three kilometers to the north), prospered as a major port city through much of the Byzantine period. However, due to Arab attacks, Isaurian raids, and attacks by the Seljuks, the Armenians and later the Karaman Dynasty, and with city having been occupied and controlled by numerous parties for varying lengths of time, the city saw a slow decline into the year 1471 CE, when the Ottomans took control. From this point, the city became of lesser and lesser importance until it was finally of little use to anybody. Pictured above and below, what appears to be a large fallen arch with a Corinthian capital at the top of its missing pillar. Perhaps this was once part of the South Inner Harbor Gate?

Each successive occupation and reconstruction of the fortress saw more dismantling and quarrying of the Hellenistic and Roman structures, with the materials then repurposed into new fortress constructions.

Pictured above, a beautiful white marble section of entablature and a white marble column lay scattered, both probably from the Imperial Roman period, perhaps members of the Roman Temple that once stood just one hundred meters beyond the east wall of the fortress.

Pictured above, we can see the dentils on an overturned entablature block that probably dates from the Roman Imperial period, or earlier. Such blocks were heavily quarried from the surrounding ancient city, and were repurposed for use within the walls of the fortress.

I found the staircase in the photo above very interesting, and it was probably used to access the second floor of the building they are abutted to.

The staircase climbs to the top of the high South Inner Harbor Wall, so it may have also allowed access to the whole of the defensive position.

Moving east just beyond the fascinating staircase, we see a small church with an impressive domed apse that is in a very good state of preservation (pictured above and below).

It's believed that there are three churches within the fortress walls, two Byzantine, and one Armenian. The large structure pictured below is interesting to me. It's located at the southeast corner of the fortress wall, and looks to be a defensive tower, but may have had multiple purposes. Its vaulted ceiling is very elaborate for a simple defensive tower. Its lower levels may have housed other an administrative 'Basilica', or trade shipping office, but its position and height say, 'defensive tower'. Regardless of the purpose of this building, many such buildings within the fortress walls are in dire need of protection.

Pictured below, we get a slightly different view of the southeast corner, while in the foreground we have another building with a clasping support buttress for the now collapsed wall.

Pictured below, this defensive tower along the inner east wall holds a lot of ancient history, as you can see the column drums and entablature blocks that were used to construct the tower. Most of the final construction with the fortress as we see it today was completed during the 13C CE.

Pictured below, I believe this is the Northeast Land Gate into the fortress, which bridged the moat, and was originally a large arched entrance, but was later blocked up and provided with a small door entrance.

Above the small door entrance there is a key block with a Christian cross relief, either dating from the Byzantine or Armenian occupation period (pictured below).

Beneath the Northeast Land Gate, the moat may have been blocked by later construction or debris, but I am quite certain that water once flowed under the Northeast Land Gate, continued on between the high North Inner Wall and lower North Outer Wall, and formed yet another inner harbor, which I call the North Inner Harbor.

Stepping through the Northeast Land Gate, we get a good view of the high Northeast Inner/Outer Gate Wall with its rounded tower. Here, the Inner and Outer Walls meet to bridge the moat, and to allow for the land gate passage. Pictured below, another remnant from the Roman or Hellenistic period, which has been repurposed as a decorative member near the Northeast Land Gate.

Pictured below, this decorative protrusion from the wall looks to have been a window frame. The window within the frame probably served a watchful eye over the Northeast Land Gate, and of those approaching the entrance point.

Below the Northeast Land Gate, there is an arched moat gate, or Northeast Inner Harbor Gate, which was accessed by bringing ships into the moat directly from the sea at the southeast corner of the fortress. Therefore, there may have also been a Southeast Sea Gate.

My logic is that transport ships (or escape ships) could ferry soldiers, generals, aristocracy, and other important people in and out of the fortress without leaving the protection of the walls. In the photos above and below, we can see the access doors on both sides of the Northeast Inner Harbor Gate.

Pictured below, not just another brick in the wall, as it has a message to convey.

In the photo below, I am standing in the North Harbor looking back at the Northeast Inner Harbor Gate, with the increasingly higher North Outer Wall on my left, a staircase leading up to defensive positions on top of the Northeast Inner Harbor Gate and Northeast Land Gate, and where the higher North Inner Wall meets the Outer Wall. The high North Inner Wall begins from the gate, and runs both south and west, and between the two walls we have the North Inner Harbor.

In the photo below, we are looking at the high North Inner Wall with a tower rising in the distance, as we continuing along the high North Inner Wall from the Northeast Harbor Gate and Northeast Land Gate. The high North Inner Wall drops down into the North Inner Harbor, creating a formidable barrier, utilizing water, and the low North Outer Wall.

Looking closely at the top of the partially collapsed tower on the high North Inner Wall, I believe it too was vaulted, like the high Southeast Inner Wall tower. If I am not mistaken, I think the arched structure in the photo below is a cistern entrance, though I can't remember.

Pictured below, I am approaching the Northwest Land Gate that gives access to the fortress from the northwest. Water probably flowed under the Northwest Land Gate, but I don't think there was an inner harbor gate located here.