Giresun Castle: Pontic Fortress Above the Bay

On this page

1. What is Giresun Castle?
2. How do you get to Giresun Castle?
3. When is the best time to visit Giresun Castle?
4. What is the history of Giresun Castle?
5. What is Giresun Castle famous for?
6. What can you see at Giresun Castle?
7. Frequently asked questions about Giresun Castle
8. What do the official records say about Giresun Castle?

What is Giresun Castle?

Giresun Castle (Giresun Kalesi) stands on the highest point of the rocky peninsula that divides Giresun in two. What remains is a ring of walls, the foundations of a palace, rock-cut caves and the ruins of a temple, set within a park of lawns, trees and terraces laid out for visitors.

For most people the castle is a viewpoint first and a monument second. From the top you look down on the harbour to the east and the old Zeytinlik quarter to the west, out to Giresun Island and back to the green mountains behind the town. It is also a place of national memory: Topal Osman Ağa, a commander in the Turkish War of Independence, is buried here in a monumental tomb.

How do you get to Giresun Castle?

The castle is in the city centre. The 2002 inventory describes a 500 m paved and concrete road up from the town, which you can drive or walk; on foot it is a steep but short climb from the centre. There is parking near the top. Taxis from anywhere in town are cheap and quick.

Ordu-Giresun Airport is about 25 km west of the city.

Tours in Anatolia

−5% Istambul readers save 5% on every tour below — applied at checkout.

See all tours

Partner listings via GetYourGuide · free cancellation on most

When is the best time to visit Giresun Castle?

Any time of year, but late afternoon and sunset are best, when the light falls across the bay and the island. Summer evenings are busy with local families. On cloudy days, which are common in Giresun, the view of the mountains may disappear, so go when the sky is clear.

What is the history of Giresun Castle?

The 2002 inventory says the castle is thought to have been built by Pharnaces I, King of Pontus, who captured the Greek city of Kerasous in 183 BC and renamed it Pharnacia. The peninsula was the natural acropolis of the town, and it remained the stronghold of Giresun through Roman, Byzantine and Trebizond times. Under the Empire of Trebizond, from 1204 to 1461, Giresun was the empire’s second city, and the Ottomans took it in 1461.

In the 20th century the castle took on a new role. Topal Osman Ağa (1884–1923), whose Giresun volunteers fought in the War of Independence, was buried here, and his tomb has become the focal point of the summit.

What is Giresun Castle famous for?

• The view over both harbours, Giresun Island and the Giresun Mountains.
• The tomb of Topal Osman Ağa, the War of Independence commander from Giresun.
• Rock-cut caves and reliefs carved into the castle rock.

What can you see at Giresun Castle?

Walls and palace remains. Stretches of the fortification walls and the ruins of a palace building still stand on the summit.

Caves, reliefs and a temple site. In various parts of the castle there are caves carved into the stone, stone reliefs and the remains of a temple.

Topal Osman Ağa’s tomb. The monumental tomb is the most visited spot on the hill.

Kufa Well. At the foot of the castle, beside the newer road, is a well thought to date from the Pontic period. Its mouth is built of cut stone, 2 m long and 80 cm wide; below that it widens out and reaches a depth of 7–8 m.

Meryem Ana rock tomb. On the old guild site, a rock tomb from the early years of Christianity in the region. Local tradition says it was a three-storey temple used as a place of healing, linked to the Kufa Well by a secret passage.

Zeytinlik. Walk down the western side into the Zeytinlik quarter, protected as a 3rd-degree urban conservation area. Its two-storey houses of stone and timber, many with bay windows and tiled roofs, date from the late Ottoman period, when Giresun’s merchants grew rich on the hazelnut trade through the port.

Giresun Museum. Back at sea level on the coast road, the 18th-century Gogora Church now houses the city museum, with antiquities, stone reliefs, weapons, costumes and coins from the province. It makes a natural pairing with the castle.

Practical tips. The park on the summit has tea gardens and benches, and it stays open into the evening. Paths around the rock are uneven in places, so wear proper shoes, and bring a jacket: the wind off the sea is strong at the top even in summer.

Frequently asked questions about Giresun Castle

What do the official records say about Giresun Castle?

The castle, which has a very rich historical culture, is on the highest point of the peninsula that divides the city in two. It is possible to reach the castle both by car and on foot by a 500 m paved and concrete road. The castle is thought to have been built by Pharnaces I, King of Pontus.

The remains of the walls and the palace still stand, and in various parts of the castle there are caves carved in the stone and the ruins of a temple. The castle also holds the monumental tomb of Topal Osman Ağa, hero of the National Struggle, as well as caves and stone reliefs. With its resting places, parks and gardens, the castle is an exceptional place to take in the view. (Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Giresun Provincial Tourism Inventory, 2002)

Main photo: Listeningsea, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.