Southern tip with a magnificent view

The Turkish district town of Anamur is 120 kilometers east of Alanya, on the southernmost tip of the Turkish Riviera, opposite Cyprus. When the weather is clear, the island can even be seen on the horizon. Anamur is known for the nearby ancient city of Anemurium and the nearby Mamur-Kalesi Castle.

This is one of the largest and best preserved on Turkey's south coast and was a notorious pirate base in the early Middle Ages. Later the castle was expanded by the crusaders; it is surrounded by a mighty wall with 36 well-preserved towers. The castle was originally built by the Romans
Built to defend the city and to control shipping. The complex was restored several times during the Seljuk and Kahramanoglulari periods. The many battlements and towers are popular photo motifs.

The old walls and the small mosque in the courtyard form a particularly attractive contrast. A great architectural achievement is the water supply of the ancient Anemurium and the castle: For this purpose, the Dragon River, ten kilometers away, was dammed and the water brought in via canals. The system is still used today to irrigate the fields on which strawberries, bananas and peanuts in particular thrive.