Ayas Castle is located in Yumurtalık on the western shore of Iskenderun Bay, approx. 60 km southeast of Adana. The place served as a significant port since the 3rd century BC when Seleukos Nikator founded Aigeai (Sayar 2010). This status persisted in the Middle Ages, especially after the Crusaders lost control of the Levantine ports in the last quarter of the 12th century. The great Venetian traveler, Marco Polo, visited Ayas on his way to and from China in 1271 and 1296, respectively. The current standing structure seems to have been erected by the Turks in the 16th century (Edwards 1987) and is more of a fortress than a castle.
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| So-called Ayas Castle * |
