Amasra Castle

Guardian of a 3,000-Year-Old Peninsula

Amasra Castle stands on the tip of the peninsula that divides the city in two, commanding a strategic position overlooking both Small Harbour (Küçük Liman) and Large Harbour. Known in antiquity as Sesamos, this fortified area was successively used by the Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines and Genoese — each civilisation leaving its mark carved in stone.

Most of the walls standing today are 14th-century Genoese construction. The Genoese used Amasra as a major base to control Black Sea trade routes and reinforced the castle accordingly.

What Is Inside the Castle?

Fatih Mosque

This building began as a small Genoese church and was converted into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest in 1460. It carries the traces of two interwoven histories: Byzantine apse details alongside an Ottoman minbar. It remains an active mosque to this day.

Small Church (Little Hagia Sophia)

A small but historically significant chapel dating from the Genoese period. The traces of frescoes on its walls and the quality of its stonework are particularly noteworthy.

Genoese Walls

Walking along the castle walls, you can see Amasra from a range of different angles. Earthquakes have opened cracks in several sections; stone staircases descend through these fissures all the way down to the breakwater.

Panoramic Viewpoints

Each corner of the castle offers a different vista. To the north, the open sea; to the south, Large Harbour and the direction of Bartın; to the west, Small Harbour and the quayside; to the east, the Boztepe highlands.

Daily Life Inside the Castle

People still live in the neighbourhood within the castle walls. Strolling through narrow stone streets, you may find yourself in the middle of an authentic Amasra community. One charming local tradition catches the eye: old shoes, teapots and pots have been repurposed as planters, used to grow flowers on windowsills and doorsteps.

How to Get There

Walking from Small Harbour towards Boztepe, turn right before reaching Kemere Bridge and climb the stepped alleyways that lead upward — all of them reach the castle interior. It can also be reached in about a 10-minute walk from the Large Harbour car park.

Admission is free. The castle can be visited at any hour; late afternoon and sunset offer particularly impressive views.