Afyonkarahisar Castle

A Fortress On A Black Volcanic Crag Whose Name Means Black Opium Castle, With A Long Stair Climbing To The Top, A View Over The City And A Hittite And Byzantine History. A Stop On The Road Between Ankara And The Aegean, With The City Known For Turkish Delight, Sausage And Clotted Cream · Afyonkarahisar, Afyonkarahisar

Afyonkarahisar Castle crowns a lone black volcanic rock about 200 m high (confirm) above the old centre of Afyonkarahisar, in western inner Anatolia, and the city name itself, which means Black Opium Castle, comes from this crag and from the poppy fields once grown around it. Fortification on the rock is often traced back to Hittite times, and Byzantines, Seljuks and Ottomans all reused the summit, so what remains are broken walls, cisterns, small towers and the outlines of rooms rather than a complete fortress (confirm the layers). A long stone stair, said to hold about 700 steps (confirm), climbs from the lanes at the foot to the top, where the view runs across red roofs, the big Kocatepe Mosque and the flat plain beyond. The city below is known for Turkish delight, sausage, clotted cream and thermal spas, so the climb fits neatly into a food stop between Ankara and the Aegean coast. Most visitors need two to three hours.

Afyonkarahisar Castle, on a high volcanic rock above the city centre of Afyonkarahisar, about 250 km south-west of Ankara; coordinates approximate, Afyonkarahisar, Afyonkarahisar, Turkiye

The rock and its stair are normally open daily from about 08:00 to 18:00 or until dusk, with longer days in summer and shorter days in winter - confirm with the city, since opening and ticket rules have changed with repairs. The last climb is best started at least an hour before closing, because the stair is long and the top has no shelter. Shops and cafes in the lanes at the foot follow ordinary market hours, roughly 09:00 to 19:00, with many closing earlier on Sunday. Snow and ice can close the stair for days in winter, and strong wind can shut the summit.

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