The Çukurova panorama
From the top of the walls the plain and its citrus groves run to the horizon, and this is the real reason to climb.
Zeynel Cebeci — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Zeynel Cebeci — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rgtemze — CC BY 2.5 · Dosseman — CC BY-SA 4.0
For nearly two centuries the long rocky ridge above the town of Kozan carried the capital of an entire kingdom. The town was then called Sis, and from 1186, when the Armenian princes made it their seat, it remained the capital of the Kingdom of Cilicia until the Mamluks took it in 1375. What survives is mostly the fortress of that period, built on older Byzantine foundations and patched by Mamluk and Ottoman hands: curtain walls running the length of the ridge, forty-four towers and bastions in two groups, water cisterns, underground chambers reached by stone steps, and the remains of a small church inside the inner citadel. Be honest with yourself about what this is. It is not a museum and it has not been dressed up for visitors: signage is close to nonexistent, the ground inside the walls is loose rock, there is almost no shade, and restoration work under way since late 2023 may close off sections. If you come for the stones alone you may find a very long ruin rather than a landmark. If you come for the view you will not be disappointed: the Çukurova plain spreads to the horizon, citrus groves ring the town, and the mountains stand behind you. In spring, when the orange trees blossom, you can practically smell the town from up here. A short asphalt road takes you by car most of the way up, where the municipality has landscaped the approach and runs a viewpoint cafe that doubles as the town's evening hangout; the castle also hosts summer concerts. Ask whether they have the local terebinth coffee, menengiç. From the cafe into the walls it is a genuine climb, steps first and then broken stone, so it works for children who walk steadily and not at all for pushchairs, and trainers are a requirement rather than a nicety. In August skip the middle of the day entirely; early morning or the hour before sunset are the only sensible options. From Adana it is about 70 km north-east, an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half by car, and regular minibuses run from the Adana bus station to Kozan, from where a short taxi ride gets you to the foot of the castle road. Entry is free with no tickets, and the site is unfenced with no gate to close. The smart plan is to make it half a day and pair it with the ancient city of Anavarza, roughly 30 km to the south-east, so the drive back to Adana feels earned.
From the top of the walls the plain and its citrus groves run to the horizon, and this is the real reason to climb.
The walls and towers you walk among housed a kingdom from 1186 until the Mamluk conquest of 1375.
A municipal cafe at the end of the paved road sits you in front of the view, and it is practically the only shade and water on site.
Taş Mahallesi, Kozan, Adana 01510
If you only have two hours, Yılankale on the Adana-Ceyhan road is closer and more dramatic as a fortress silhouette. Kozan earns its trip when you pair it with Anavarza in one day: the view is wider and the castle far larger and richer in history, but there is no interpretation and no shade, so do not make it a solo outing in August heat.
The car gets you to the cafe and the landscaped area around it, and that much suits everyone. Inside the walls it is steps and then loose rock with no railings, so it is for children who walk steadily only; pushchairs stay at the cafe.