Mersin Maiden's Castle

It is 60 kilometers southwest of Mersin. According to Herodotus, it was founded by the Cypriot King Korykos (Gorgos?). While Korykos made its first findings in the Hellenistic Period, it experienced its Golden Age in the Roman Period. He minted coins in his own name in the 1st century B.C. Architectural remains such as the port gate, the Big and Small Temple, the churches Decked out in succession, the Colonnaded Street, the North Gate, and the Big and Small Baths are indicators of the wealth of the city. It is this city that is the terminus of the aqueducts and canals that carry water from the Llamas River. The importance of the city continues in the Middle Ages. It also gave its name to the Black Castle - Korykos and Kızkalesi Neighborhood, which was built for defense purposes on an islet in the city. 

In 1099, Alexion I. had the Architect Megas Drungarios Eustatius built the castle on land, and Leon I. had the Maiden's Castle built in 1199.

It was conquered by II. Karamanoğlu İbrahim in 1448, passed into the hands of the Ottomans in 1473-74 and lost its importance over time.

THE RUMOR

“There was once a king. He consulted a fortune teller to find out the future of his only daughter, whom he loved very much. When he found out that his daughter was going to be stung to death by a snake, he built a castle on the sea for the princess. Thinking that he had thus secured his life, the king one day sent a basket of grapes to his daughter. However, the snake hiding in the basket stung the girl to death.”