ITU A|Z • Vol 18 No 1 • March 2021 • 183-198 Şile and its castle: Historical topography and medieval architectural history Hasan Sercan SAĞLAM [email protected] • Research Center for Anatolian Civilizations (ANAMED), Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey Received: March 2020 • Final Acceptance: May 2020 Abstract Being a district of Istanbul, Şile is located towards the east of the northern end of the Bosporus. This small city lies next to the Black Sea and it forms the northeastern section of the provincial borders of Istanbul. Şile Castle is popularly known as “Genoese Castle” but some other sources date it to the Late Byzantine period, as a typical watchtower. Following a long period of neglect, it most recent- ly came into prominence with a restoration in 2015, which fully brought it back to the supposed original appearance. Although some assumptions were formerly made in order to describe the origins of Şile Castle, it was seen that its medie- val architectural history was not elaborated despite the relevant information that were scattered around some significant primary sources as well as a number of secondary sources. Those works were not put together with the aim of exclusive objectives for Şile and its castle that the modern studies were also unaware of about which extant monument they mention of. Thus, a critical reading was done between relevant primary and secondary sources with a topographical and ar- chitectural point of view for Şile. The obtained information were chronologically considered for the topographical depiction, first construction, and usage of the castle for centuries. Major findings displayed that the origins of Şile Castle not only predate formerly supposed times but also differ than a simple watchtower in terms of initial function. Nearby castles also set an example regarding the usage of Şile Castle in later times. Keywords doi: 10.5505/itujfa.2020.26779 doi: Architectural history, Bithynia, Historical topography, Medieval castle, Şile. 184 1. Introduction focused on structural surveys and later Modern Şile is located in the north- periods. Hence, through an interdis- west of Turkey. It is a metropolitan dis- ciplinary research methodology, this trict of Istanbul, which falls roughly 50 study aims to handle a rather ambig- kilometers northeast of the city and 40 uous period of Şile Castle in depth, kilometers east of the Bosporus. While which was previously not elaborated the district population is approximate- in the light of primary sources and ly 40.000 inhabitants, around 15.000 of relevant comparisons to some nearby them reside in the center (TÜİK, 2019). Bithynian examples. Lying next to the Black Sea with a large and modern harbor, the settle- 2. Şile Castle: An architectural ment center of Şile has some distinc- literature review tive geographical features. It is situated The castle is located on the rocky above a wide and sharp-pointed cape and arid Ocaklı Island in the north of with impassable cliffs and stony bays Şile coastline that the rectangular main along its rough coastline, before a small structure is situated above its highest group of rocky islands that protect the point (Fig. 1). Moreover, the whole up- harbor. per perimeter of the island is encircled According to archaeological sur- with a line of relatively low ramparts, veys, surroundings of Şile were inhab- which connect to the aforementioned ited during the Epipaleolithic period, keep at one corner point (Fig. 2). This which falls roughly 20.000 – 10.000 fortification system is built of roughly years before present time. In this re- shaped and average sized rubble ma- gard, around the northwestern Domalı sonry with very limited brick usage. (Sahilköy) and Doğancılı villages of The main building of the castle, actu- Şile, the ridge of Mürselli Baba, the hill ally resembling a rectangular tower of Tekmezar and the sands of Akçalı has approximate floor dimensions of were significant discovery sites, where 10 x 12 meters and a supposed height various examples of small drills, re- of 15 meters. It had three floors that touched stone tools with geometric were separated by barrel vaults but all shapes (mainly scrapes and blades), of them were collapsed. The top sec- leftover flakes, and a few obsidian glass tion has regular battlements. There is a were documented (Özdoğan, 1985; cistern in the southeastern part of the Gatsov and Özdoğan, 1994). island, which has dimensions of 6 x 10 Speaking for Şile town center, small meters and a depth of around 4 meters ceramic findings from its eastern part (Fıratlı, 1952). and the nearby Ocaklı Island have dis- The irregular wall circuit that sur- played that the area saw continuous round the small island has abundant inhabiting starting from the Hellenis- spolia, such as ancient bricks, various tic period (Fıratlı, 1952). A cistern was handles, and pointed bottoms of am- also discovered in the west of Şile town phorae, which must belong to the same center, which supposedly remained locality. Further ancient fragments from the Byzantine period (Bakalakis, were documented inside the walled 1978). area on the island (Bakalakis, 1978). The renowned Şile Castle is locat- ed on Ocaklı Island in the north. The castle as well as harbor of Şile are often named after the island as “Ocaklı Cas- tle” and “Ocaklı Harbor”. Moreover, Şile Castle is popularly known as “Genoese Castle” and some anonymous sources also attribute the old harbor of Şile to Genoese, a former Italian maritime re- public (Cura and Eyüpgiller, 2019). There were very limited research- es on the architectural history of Şile Castle within the context of its medi- Figure 1. A view of Şile coastline from the south that Ocaklı Island eval origins, as modern studies mostly with Şile Castle is located in the center (Sağlam, 2018). ITU A|Z • Vol 18 No 1 • March 2021 • H. S. Sağlam 185 Şile Castle was described as a “for- tress” by Fıratlı (1952), where Eyüp- giller (2019) defined the central build- ing as a typical “watchtower” that such common vertical structures were re- portedly erected for observation and defense purposes on islands, peninsu- las and other coastal areas for detecting enemy troops approaching from the seaside, according to the same scholar. Yet, ramparts completed the layout to a castle. In addition, Bakalakis (1978) argued that it is impossible that there would have been a proper settlement within Şile Castle, as the walled area was relatively small. There are some brief hypotheses about the origins of Şile Castle that scattered around a group of modern secondary sources, which actually have different research scopes instead of the castle itself. Those arguments are simply based on rather narrative anon- ymous sources of information, backed by brief first impressions, which even- tually failed to elaborate the medieval Figure 2. A plan of Şile Castle on Ocaklı period of Şile Castle. This insufficient Island, where the main tower building, literature was most recently quoted by surrounding lower walls, and the cistern in later modern studies mentioned be- the south are shown (Fıratlı, 1952). low. On the northern façade of the main Correspondingly, on one hand, building, there used to be a balcony some modern researchers argued that with supportive consoles. It was appar- Şile Castle is a Byzantine monument ently for observation due to the orienta- from the 13th century; yet some sourc- tion towards the open sea. Upper floors es on the other hand claim that it was of the tower were accessed by a vertical built by the Genoese (Cura and Eyüp- ladder system, which was collapsed in a giller, 2019), who were active in the later time (Eyüpgiller, Dönmez & Ço- Black Sea mostly during the 14th-15th banoğlu, 2013). centuries. Yet, there is absolutely no The tower of Şile Castle has a number primary source about a Genoese pres- of arched openings that resemble wide ence in Şile (Sağlam, 2018). It has also observation windows instead of arrow been briefly questioned by further re- slits. The main entrance of the tower searchers that Şile Castle was actually is on the southern façade. It also has a built by an anonymous Byzantine em- cellar below the ground level. Şile Castle peror called Andronikos but then used was designated as a listed building on by the Ottomans (Eyüpgiller, 2019). 10.07.1981 (Envanter, 2019). Another argument dates the castle to After similar examples from else- 2000 years before present time (Eyüp- where in the world, it has been said that giller, Dönmez & Çobanoğlu, 2013). Şile Castle most probably had a wooden Finally, Bakalakis (1978) misinter- roof on top of its battlement level with preted the comment of Fıratlı (1952) a pyramidal or hipped form, which no about the nearby Heciz Castle at Kale- longer exists (Eyüpgiller, 2019). Sim- altı village and argued that Şile Castle ilar examples to Şile Castle were men- was built by the Ottomans during their tioned as Güvercinada Castle in Kuşa- earlier domination in the area around dası, Izmir and Kız Kulesi in Pazar, Rize the late 14th century. Belke (2020) su- (Eyüpgiller, Dönmez & Çobanoğlu, perficially attributes the castle to the 2013; Eyüpgiller, 2019). Ottomans as well. Şile and its castle: Historical topography and medieval architectural history 186 The castle supposedly had repairs by of each other; also which historical set- the Byzantines and Ottomans; but due tlement and its extant monument they to its poor state prior to the restoration spoke of. Hence, a thorough chrono- of 2015, any distinctive construction logical research was carried out, which phase or trace of repair was not record- was followed by the assessment of ar- ed especially on the tower (Eyüpgiller, cheological evidences. In the mean- 2019). Thus, it can be argued that its time, nearby Byzantine castles were previous state overall displayed a single considered for some topographical and construction phase.