BOZIKAN CASTLE

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Bozikan Castle is located in the south of Kaleyolu (Bozıkan) village of Sason district of Batman province. Kaleyolu village is located 90km northeast of Batman city center and 24km north of Sason district center. Bozikan Castle, also called the Old Sason Castle, is located on a strategically important place on the top of a high rock in a triangular area formed at the junction of the Kapıs and Kus Rivers on the southern part of Zavasar Mountain.

Although the castle built on the bedrock does not show a regular plan, the walls surrounding the hill on which it was built were built within the possibilities offered by the topography in which the castle was built. The height of the castle above sea level is approximately 1300m, and its surface area is 176m in the north-south direction and 134m in the east-west direction. The castle, which consists of the inner castle and the outer walls attached to the inner castle, is an example of defense architecture that dominates the region.

The inner castle and its outer walls have been severely damaged and only ruins remain today. The highway reaches the inner castle from the north. The fortification walls of the citadel were weaker, as a steep cliff and river line crossed from other directions. The thickness of the fortification wall and bastion remains in the north direction show that it was built with the understanding of a double-stage city wall for a possible attack from the highway. It has been observed that the bastions detected in the north direction are circular bastions in the form of watchtowers. There are two vaulted spaces in the north of the castle. It is thought that one of them is a cistern and the other a bastion in the form of a watchtower. There is a bastion in the west of the castle and a vaulted space in the east. A proper pipe system was found in this place, and it is thought that this place may be a cistern based on this. In addition, in the southwest direction of the castle, there is a passage made by carving the bedrock and filled with earth today. It is thought that this passage probably went down to the stream passing to the west of the castle. As it is understood from the remains of the castle today, it has been determined that the thickness of the inner castle and outer fortification walls is approximately 2.00 m, and the fortifications made of rubble stones were covered with smooth cut stones. Cas mortar was used on the walls. Very few ceramic finds were found on the surface of the castle.