Hoşap Castle

Explore the formidable HOŞAP KALESİ, an ancient fortress that offers breathtaking views and tales of valor.

Hoşap Castle

This castle, also known as Mahmûdî or Narin Castle, is located in Hoşap (Güzelsu) on the Van-Hakkari highway, about 60 kilometers from Van, near a town that shares its name. The castle’s origins date back to the Urartians and has been used through the periods of the Eastern Roman, Vaspurakan, Abbasid, Seljuk, Ilkhanid, Karakoyunlu, Akkoyunlu, and Safavid dominions, gaining its final form under the Ottoman-aligned Mahmûdî Beylik. The castle comprises an inner castle, which rises on a rocky mass along the Hoşap River (Güzelsu), and an adjoining outer castle to the north. A three-line Persian inscription above the entrance to the inner castle states that it was built by Mahmûdî Bey Sarı Süleyman in 1642 (1052 AH). Though abandoned in the mid-19th century, the castle’s inner structures have remained largely intact, making it a notable symbol of the region.

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