Şebinkarahisar Castle

Priority Stop Popularity 82/100 Visit ~1 saat Best Season Late spring to autumn (May-October); winter brings snow and difficult road conditions due to the high altitude. Category Historic Structures / Photo-Scenic

Photography Culture

Şebinkarahisar Castle rises on a roughly 1,360-metre-high mass of black basalt known as Hacıkayası, dominating the inland district town of the same name in Giresun Province. These dark volcanic rocks gave the fortress and the town their identity: the old name "Karahisar" means "black castle," later prefixed with "Şebin" in reference to the alum (şap) mines worked here for centuries.

History & Significance

Although the exact date of construction is unknown, the castle already existed in the Pontic and Roman periods, when the Roman general Pompey repaired it and renamed the settlement Colonia (Koloneia). In the Byzantine era, Emperor Justinian I rebuilt its walls; after 1074 it passed to the Danishmend and Mengücek beyliks, and the Mengücek ruler Fahreddin Behram Shah added important structures in 1184. Shaped further by Seljuk and Ottoman hands, the castle retained its strategic role after Mehmed II secured the region for the Ottomans following the 1473 Battle of Otlukbeli.

Architecture & Structure

The complex divides into an outer and an inner castle. A pointed-arched "Seljuk Gate" stands between two semicircular towers, while the highest outcrop carries a four-storey, octagonal palace tower about 27 metres tall. Rock-cut cisterns, the water tunnel called "Kırk Badal," and the oval bastion known as "Kızlar Kalesi" are among the details that intrigue visitors. Damaged by the 1915 events and the 1939 Erzincan earthquake, the castle was last restored in 2003, with further restoration projects based on Evliya Çelebi's notes approved by the Trabzon Cultural Heritage Board.

Visiting, Access & Tips

It is one of the signature stops on inland Eastern Black Sea tours, favoured by agencies for both its panoramic views and its standing as the region's most monumental historic structure. The average visit lasts 60-90 minutes and is typically combined the same day with the Meryem Ana (Kayadibi) Monastery, Şebinkarahisar's stone mansions, the Fatih Mosque and the Atatürk House. The western slope and the town-facing bastions are the most striking spots for photography at sunset.

Images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons — click a photo for author and licence.

Visit & Logistics

Getting thereAbout 110-120 km inland from the Giresun coast; a mountainous, winding 2-2.5-hour drive via the D850 highway and Eğribel Pass. A short, steep connecting road climbs from the town centre to the castle; the final approach is on foot via a rock-cut path/stairs.
ParkingParking is available in the town centre and at the foot of the castle; vehicles are left at the lower level and visitors walk up.
Coach accessTour coaches can reach the town centre and the lower car park at the foot of the castle; large coaches park at the lower level and the final ascent is completed on foot.
AccessibilityLimited; the inner castle is not suitable for wheelchairs due to the steep rocky ground and stairs. The lower viewpoints are more accessible.
Photo spotsThe western slope and town-facing bastions offer the most striking frame at sunset; a wide-angle view from the town centre showing the castle with its basalt rock mass; close-up shots of the octagonal palace tower and the pointed-arched Seljuk Gate in the inner castle.
Suggested routeThe opening or midday stop of the Şebinkarahisar day tour of the inland route; combined afterwards with the Meryem Ana Monastery and the stone mansions.

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