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Koz Castle

Koz Castle

Photo: Klaus-Peter Simon · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Location
Altınözü, Turkey
Client / Owner
Principality of Antioch
Year
Completed 1133
Access
Public
Typology
Cultural
Style
—

Koz Castle, also called Kürşat Castle, is a fortress in the Altınözü district of Hatay Province, Turkey. It sits on a small hill where the Kuseyr Creek begins. The Principality of Antioch built it from ashlar stone. It was first mentioned in 1133, when King Fulk of Jerusalem took it.

By 1155 it belonged to the Latin patriarch of Antioch, Aimery of Limoges, who used it as a refuge for himself and his treasures. It earned the name Castrum Patriarchae. In 1188 Aimery paid Saladin to prevent an attack. Pope Innocent IV ordered church tax revenue to fund repairs and expansion, which strengthened the defenses by 1256.

The castle withstood a Mamluk siege led by Baibars in 1268. It surrendered on November 14, 1275. Today the north gate no longer exists, though some original barns and several bastions remain standing.

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