Ünye Castle: Fortress on a Volcanic Hill

On this page

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

What is Ünye Castle?

Ünye Castle (Ünye Kalesi) crowns a steep hill of 300–400 m a few kilometres inland from Ünye, the main town at the western end of Ordu province. Local tradition, recorded in the 2002 inventory, says the hill is an old volcano that went extinct long ago, and the castle sits on the rim of its crater.

What you see today is a ring of medieval walls and towers, a large cistern on the plateau, a long rock-cut stair running down to the stream, and, in the cliff beneath the walls, a rock-cut tomb with a decorated entrance. The view from the top runs over the Ünye valley and out to the coast.

How do you get to Ünye Castle?

Ünye is on the Black Sea coastal highway, 76 km west of Ordu city and closer to Samsun’s Çarşamba Airport than to Ordu-Giresun Airport. From Ünye the castle is about 5 km by road; take a taxi or drive, following signs for the castle (Kale) and the village below it. The last part of the approach is a climb on foot over uneven ground, so wear proper shoes.

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 Ünye Castle?

Spring and autumn are best for the climb; summer works too if you go early or late in the day. Combine it with a swim at Uzunkum beach in summer. After heavy rain the paths can be muddy and slippery. Allow an hour or two for the castle itself, more if you want to scramble down to look at the rock tomb and the stair; a half day covers the castle, Ünye town and a meal by the sea.

What is the history of Ünye Castle?

Ünye is the ancient Oinoe, a port of Pontus at the mouth of a river, and the castle above it guarded the route inland. Its origins go back to the Kingdom of Pontus: the 2002 inventory says the castle gate, half buried in the ground and decorated with coloured paintings on both sides, is thought to date from the time of Mithridates II. The fortress was rebuilt by the Empire of Trebizond in the late 13th century, and the defensive works on the crater rim are thought to be medieval.

The castle was built to withstand sieges. The inventory describes a large pool on the plateau, used in wartime, and a great channel lined with stone and earth running down to the stream, alongside a stair several hundred metres long. When the castle was cut off from the surrounding country, it is thought to have drawn its water by this channel.

The town below has kept its ancient name through many changes. Greek Oinoe became Oinaion, then Unieh and Unie, and finally Ünye. It grew in recent decades into one of the largest towns in Ordu province, with a long seafront and an 18th-century town hall among its older buildings.

The rock tombs at the foot of the castle, listed by the provincial culture directorate as the Kaleköy Castle rock tombs, belong to the same ancient landscape.

What is Ünye Castle famous for?

• Its setting on a hill said to be an extinct volcano, above the Ünye valley.
• The rock-cut tomb in the cliff beneath the walls.
• The water stair and channel that supplied the castle in times of siege.

What can you see at Ünye Castle?

The walls and towers. Medieval fortifications follow the edge of the summit, with views in every direction.

The cistern. A large pool on the plateau inside the castle, used to store water in wartime.

The stair and channel. A long stair and a stone-lined channel run down from the castle towards the stream.

The rock tomb. Cut into the cliff below the castle, with a carved façade; one of the Kaleköy rock tombs listed by the provincial culture directorate.

In Ünye town. The provincial culture directorate lists the Çifte Hamam and Saray Hamamı bathhouses, the Saray Mosque, the Yalı Church and the tomb of Yunus Emre among Ünye’s historic places. Uzunkum, near the town, is one of the best-known beaches on the coast.

Practical tips. There are no facilities at the castle itself; bring water, and take care near the walls, which are unrestored in places.

Frequently asked questions about Ünye Castle

What do the official records say about Ünye Castle?

The castle is 5 km from the district town, on a hill 300–400 m high which, it is said, took on its present character when a volcano went extinct over time in very ancient periods. On the volcano’s crater, a number of defensive works thought to date from the Middle Ages have been found. On the castle plateau there is a large pool, evidently used in times of war.

A great channel, its bottom lined with stone and earth, runs down from the castle to the stream, together with a stair several hundred metres long. It is thought that the castle, cut off from its surroundings in wartime, met its water needs through this channel. The castle gate, thought to have been built in the time of Mithridates II, is half buried, and both its sides are decorated with coloured paintings. (Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Ordu Provincial Tourism Inventory, 2002)