Anavarsa Castle, or a ruined city with a castle, is about 50 miles from Adana...where the American Air Base is located. This area cannot be toured in one day. You will need to return many times to see everything. Make sure you pack many frozen bottles of water or tea, as you will be extremely thirsty before you even reach the top! (We packed frozen bottles, as they thawed as we walked and you always had ice cold drinks!)
The lower city has never been excavated to date. It remains buried beneath 4-10 feet of earth. Originally destroyed by an earthquake, it was rebuilt by Justinian, only to suffer the fate of many cities in the area and change hands innumerable times until it became the capitol of Cilician Armenia c.1100. It was finally abandoned in 1375. Traces of an amphitheatre as well as the "spina" and main arch of a stadium and a 3-bay Corinthian triumphal arch attest to it's former glory.
You first enter the city at the Corinthian Triumphal Arch. A little beyond the arch and at the end of the village is a cut through the ridge, part of the old road from the east. On the left, are the original steps up to the citidel. Along this walk, you will find a small Byzantine oratory with a carved head of Christ.
Upon reaching the top (a rough amount of climbing with a lot of rest breaks!) you first come to the main wall of the outer fortifications, complete with intersecting rooms and underground chambers. Across the field are the ruins of an 11th century Armenian Church with three arches. The ceiling of one is painted with indistinguishable human figures. Continue along the footpath and as you get closer to the castle proper, you will notice that the land narrows and you are between a sturdy wall on the right and a sheer drop on the left. The structure to the right was the original entrance to the castle. In true Armenian fashion, it is subtly arranged to make it impossible for a battering ram or some other form of mechanical seige.
Next in the obstacle course is a dry moat leading to a tunnel-type building and another dry moat. You must watch you step carefully...looking for individual footholds and handholds. Anyone with a slight fear at all about crossing the second moat should just stay in the outer fortifications. It is not recommended to take small children into the castle proper. Crossing the second moat (in and out of the castle) is very dangerous and the loss of balance is certain of a long fall to the base of the mountain.
Once you cross the second moat, you go through a tunnel to the main part of the castle. The castle is fortified on the west and at the north end by two horseshoe-like towers. This portion of Anavarsa is in relatively good condition. The large, 3 storied keep was built in 1188, but the smaller keep has a door leading out. One can only hope that this was a sentry or emergency exit. Certainly no one ever came in from below!
This castle is another castle that gets very few organized tours. The local villagers will be more than happy to act as your guide. They know every point of interest and will make sure you miss nothing! They also know all the footholds and handholds! We visited this castle many, many times. In the village, is a "make-shift" museum. Mozaic baths were uncovered while a farmer was plowing his fields. That farmer was appointed as a "museum curator" to ensure the preservation of the baths.
The Photographic Tour of Anavarsa Castle!
The Museum and Baths