History and archaeology / Castle
Ahlat Shore Castle (Ottoman Castle)
Ahlat, Bitlis
A rectangular Ottoman castle built on the shore of Lake Van in the 16th century after the Safavid destruction, containing the İskender Paşa and Kadı Mahmud mosques.
Its story
When the castle of old Ahlat was destroyed in Safavid attacks in the mid-16th century, the Ottomans built a new fortress on the lakeshore, and new Ahlat developed around this castle. It is said that its construction began in the reign of Yavuz Sultan Selim (Selim I) and was completed in the reign of Süleyman the Magnificent, and it is attributed to Mimar Sinan. The rectangular castle is surrounded by relatively low walls and towers; in the 17th century Evliya Çelebi described hundreds of houses, hans, hammams and shops inside, with boats waiting in the boathouse on the shore. Inside, the single-domed mosque built in 1564–65 by İskender Paşa, the first beylerbeyi (governor-general) of Van, and the Kadı Mahmud Mosque still stand. Half an hour is enough to walk among the walls and see the mosques together with the lake view.
Key facts
- Period
- 16th century (Ottoman)
- Getting there
- Central Ahlat, Lake Van shore
- Visit duration
- 30–45 minutes
Trip purpose
- Photography
Location
38.74090, 42.47396
Where to eat nearby
No food & drink venues listed nearby.
Map data: © OpenStreetMap contributors; Overture Maps
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Source: Web derlemesi (doğrulanmalı): https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahlat_Kalesi | https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%B0skender_Pa%C5%9Fa_Camii_(Ahlat) | https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/ahlat | https://goturkiye.com/bitlis/see | https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/842174911