Istanbul, Türkiye
Perched on a hill where the Bosphorus meets the Black Sea, Yoros Kalesi stands as a timeworn sentinel over the waterway. Its massive stone walls, rose-tinted from ancient mortar, tell a tale stretching back nearly one thousand years.
The origins of Yoros trace back to the Eastern Roman, or Byzantine, era, when it was built to guard the waterway leading to the great city of Constantinople. Greeks before them had called this land a sacred place, and their temples honored gods like Apollo and Zeus, believing the area was blessed by favorable winds. Some say the castle’s name comes from the Greek word for mountain, or perhaps from the sacred meaning once held here.
Control of Yoros meant control of ships sailing between the Black Sea and the heart of the empire. Over the centuries, the castle changed hands. Genoese merchants seized it in the late Middle Ages, strengthening the fortifications, leaving their family symbols, and repairing the towers. Later, Ottoman forces took the castle in the early fourteenth century, for a time using it as a stronghold where directions and taxes for Black Sea navigation were set.
The castle’s architecture reflects this layered history. The pale pink hue of its mortar comes from unique volcanic materials. Ruins of thick walls still rise from the grassy hill, some topped with Turkish, Greek, and Genoese carvings.
Inside, daily life buzzed with the routines of soldiers, sailors, and guards—ready to repel attacks, but also gathering at the small mosque, Turkish bath, and watchtowers. Local records mention a neighborhood of around twenty-five homes inside the fortress during the Ottoman period.
Today, much of Yoros lies in ruins, with only a few towers and the eastern gate remaining. Inscriptions in ancient Greek can still be spotted in the stones. Some areas are restricted due to military use, but the view from the hill—swept by breezes and laced with history—remains unforgettable. Excavations have unearthed many artifacts, adding pieces to the castle’s long, storied life by the sea.
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