Zilkale: The Medieval Castle Above the Fırtına

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

What is Zilkale (Zil Castle)?

Zilkale is a medieval castle on a rocky crag above the Fırtına stream, in the Çamlıhemşin district of Rize. Its grey stone walls and tall tower rise out of dense forest, with the river far below and mountains on every side, and it is one of the most photographed sights of the eastern Black Sea.

It was a garrison castle, built to watch the valley and the route that led from the coast up into the mountains. Today it is a ruin, but a well-preserved one: three rings of walls, guard quarters and the shell of a tall tower still stand, and from its walls you look straight down into the Fırtına Valley.

How do you get to Zilkale (Zil Castle)?

Zilkale is about 12 km from Çamlıhemşin. From Rize, drive east along the coast to Ardeşen and turn inland up the Fırtına valley to Çamlıhemşin, 22 km from the coast road. Then continue upstream on the road towards Çat; the castle appears on its crag above the road. From the road a short but steep path leads up to the gate, so wear shoes with grip, especially after rain.

The trip takes about 1.5 hours from Rize. From Ayder, which lies on the neighbouring road out of Çamlıhemşin, it is an easy half-day outing. Without a car, take a taxi from Çamlıhemşin or join a tour.

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When is the best time to visit Zilkale (Zil Castle)?

The castle can be visited all year, but May to October is the practical season. Late spring brings the greenest forest; October brings autumn colour, when the castle is at its most photogenic and draws many photographers. Fog often fills the valley during the day, sometimes hiding the castle entirely and sometimes leaving the tower floating above the clouds. Morning visits are usually clearest. In winter the road beyond Çamlıhemşin can be snowy.

What is the history of Zilkale (Zil Castle)?

The 2002 inventory dates the castle to the end of the Middle Ages, and most sources now place it in the 14th–15th centuries, the period of the Empire of Trebizond and its neighbours. Its purpose was military: a garrison post controlling the Fırtına valley and the routes that crossed the Kaçkar between the coast and the interior.

The site itself may be older. Some historians believe that in the first to fourth centuries AD it was the seat of a local Laz principality, known from ancient sources as Macron-Henochi.

When the Ministry of Culture and Tourism surveyed the Kaçkar region for its 2002 inventory, it singled out the Zilkale ruins as the cultural landmark of the Fırtına valley, alongside the plateau settlements whose wooden architecture and harmony with nature it describes as the other great attraction of the area. It is one of the few medieval monuments in these mountains that visitors can reach easily by road.

The name is also debated. It is usually read as “Bell Castle” (zil meaning bell in Turkish); another version, Zirkale, combines Persian and Turkish and is interpreted as “lower castle”. The inventory also lists a second castle further up, Kala-i Bala, 40 km south of Çamlıhemşin.

What is Zilkale (Zil Castle) famous for?

• Its position. Few castles in Türkiye are so dramatically placed, on a crag in a forested gorge with the Kaçkar rising behind.
• A complete small fortress. Outer walls, middle walls, inner keep and tower survive in recognisable form.
• Photography. The views of the castle in fog and in autumn colour have made it a symbol of the Rize mountains.

What can you see at Zilkale (Zil Castle)?

The outer walls. The path to the main gate begins inside the outer circuit, which follows the edge of the rock.

The middle walls. This section held guard rooms and storerooms for the garrison.

The inner castle and tower. The highest point of the castle, used as a lookout. The inventory describes the walls as rubble stone, 1.5–2 metres thick, built on a mass of rock, and the tower as five storeys high; other sources count four.

The chapel. A small building inside the walls is thought to have been a chapel.

The view. From the walls you look down on the Fırtına and up and down the valley. The return drive passes several of the Ottoman stone bridges of the Fırtına, including the Şenyuva bridge.

The upper valley. Beyond the castle the road continues up the Fırtına to Çat, the starting point for the Elevit and Palovit plateaus and, according to the inventory, for the climb to Verçenik (about 3,710 m), the western summit of the Kaçkar. Between Elevit and Palovit, the inventory notes a high waterfall that drops onto the rocks, and describes Palovit, forested on one side and backed by mountainside on the other, as a magnificent sight.

Frequently asked questions about Zilkale (Zil Castle)

What do the official records say about Zilkale (Zil Castle)?

The castle, which is estimated to have been built at the end of the Middle Ages, is in the district of Çamlıhemşin. It was built of rubble stone on top of a mass of rock. Its walls are 1.5–2 metres thick. The castle has five storeys and is thought to have been used as a military shelter.

The Zilkale ruins in the Fırtına Stream valley carry an important cultural value. (Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Rize Provincial Tourism Inventory, 2002)