Kilitbahir Castle Museum

About

Kilitbahir Castle Museum, in the Eceabat district of Çanakkale on the European shore of the strait, presents Ottoman fortress life inside Kilitbahir Castle. Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror had the castle built, together with Çimenlik Castle (Kal'a-i Sultaniyye) on the opposite shore, to control passage through the strait. According to contemporary sources, construction was completed in 1464-65. Under Sultan Suleiman I the castle was repaired and enclosed by walls, and in 1541, as its inscription records, the Yellow Tower was built. The visit covers the Yellow Tower, the late-period courtyard known as Hisar Peçe, the Piri Reis section and the Inner Tower. The Yellow Tower deals with Ottoman fortress architecture and daily life, while the Piri Reis section displays navigational instruments and his world map. The triangular Inner Tower rises about 27 metres; it was partly damaged in 1915, and its wooden floors were rebuilt during restoration in 2012. Its levels are devoted to the castle's history, defence, food, trade, worship and excavation finds.