Oltu Kalesi

Oltu Castle stands right in the middle of the town of Oltu, in the northeast of Erzurum province, on a steep but not very high rocky hill. Turkish Wikipedia writes that the castle was built where the streams from Narman and Sivri meet to form the Oltu Stream, in a position that commands an important pass. The provincial tourism guide also notes that the castle lies inside the bend drawn by the Oltu Stream. The Culture Portal gives the distance from the town to the city centre as 118 kilometres. The round towers on top of the rock can be seen from many points in the town centre. The founding date of the castle is uncertain, and the sources give different dates. The Culture Portal writes that the castle was built by the Urartians in the 4th century BC. The provincial guide says that its architectural features go back to the Urartians and that it is thought to have been built for military purposes in that period. Turkish Wikipedia, however, reports two traditions about the date of construction and notes that a researcher who studied the castle in the 19th century attributed it to Georgian architecture. The safest statement is therefore that the castle's origins go back a very long way and that it was rebuilt many times over the centuries. The castle passed through the hands of many states. The Culture Portal writes that the structure was repaired in the Byzantine, Seljuk, Akkoyunlu, Karakoyunlu and Ottoman periods. According to Turkish Wikipedia, before passing to the Ottomans in the mid 16th century it was one of the important centres of the rulers of Samtskhe-Saatabago. In the Ottoman period Oltu became the administrative centre of the Oltu sanjak, attached to the Eyalet of Çıldır. In the same period the castle was also used for a time as a caravanserai. Wikipedia also reports that after the war of 1877-1878 Oltu passed under Russian administration for a period. The castle was last restored and consolidated in 1998-1999. The castle consisted of two parts, an inner and an outer castle. According to the Culture Portal, the outer walls that surrounded the neighbourhoods of Oltu have not survived. The structure seen today is the inner castle sitting on natural rock, built over an area of about 3000 square metres. The provincial guide notes that the inner castle shows an architecture that follows the shape of the rock beneath it. The high and thick curtain walls are reinforced with towers, and the material is neatly cut stone. Locally the inner castle is called Ehmedek. The Culture Portal writes that the inner castle contains cisterns and quarters that belonged to the castle guards. One of the most interesting details of the castle is its hidden water passage. The Culture Portal mentions a tunnel descending from Ehmedek to the Oltu Stream, and the provincial guide also notes that the castle gate and the tunnel face the stream. At the eastern foot of the inner castle there is a bath whose origins go back to the Seljuks. The Culture Portal writes that this bath was connected to the inner castle by clay pipes and forms a single ensemble with the castle. The surviving traces show that the towers and walls to the northwest of the castle were once far more imposing. The single gate of the inner castle opens to the south, and according to the provincial guide this entrance is reached by stairs. The stairs are steep, so it is best to wear comfortable shoes and climb slowly. From above you can clearly see how the Oltu Stream divides the town in two and why the castle held the pass. The best photograph is taken from the town centre looking up at the castle, where the rock and the walls appear together. In the afternoon the light falls on the southern face and the stone texture stands out more. Since visiting conditions and access arrangements may change, check current information with the provincial directorate of culture and tourism. In Turkey the name Oltu is closely linked with Oltu stone. The provincial tourism guide writes that this stone is also known as Erzurum stone and black amber, and that it is worked with a craft passed down from father to son. After visiting the castle you can see workshops of this craft in the town market. The Culture Portal notes that access is provided by Oltu vehicles leaving from the western district bus station in the Şükrüpaşa neighbourhood of Erzurum. Those travelling by car can combine the castle with the Narman Fairy Chimneys to the south on the same day.