Castles & Clock Tower

Castles

Çorum Castles

The exact construction date of the castle, which was built on a low hill in the south of the city, overlooking the plain, is unknown. 17th century Evliya Çelebi, who came to Çorum in 1966, tells that the castle is a Seljuk structure built by Sultan Kılıç Arslan. The castle has a square plan. Smooth cut stone, rubble stone and reused stones from the Roman-Byzantine periods were used as building materials. There is a small mosque and residences inside the castle. The construction date of Çorum Castle is not certain. However, although it is written in some sources that it was built during the time of the Danishmendians or Seljuks, it was most likely built on a hill overlooking the region during the Byzantine period. Evliya Çelebi, who came to Çorum in the 16th century, said that the castle, located in the direction of the city's qibla, was built by Sultan Kılıçarslan, and also stated that there were several houses in the castle. W.F.Ainsworth came to Çorum in 1842 and stated that the castle was built with old materials and claimed that its walls were renewed at different times. He stated that after this, while the castle was being renovated, its old plan was preserved, and many ancient marble columns, Byzantine period tombstones, statues and inscriptions were also used as spolia on its walls.

Castles

İskilip KalCastlesesi

In Çorum İskilip district, approximately 100 m. It was built on a high natural rock. The castle, located in the town center and dating back to the Ottoman Period, has steep rocks on three sides, and exit is possible only from the northwest. There are rock tombs from the Roman Period at the foot of the steep cliff on which the castle was built. It was built on the natural rock on the northern edge of Kızılırmak in the District Center. There is a second gate inside the castle, which dates back to the Seljuk Period. The castle is on the trade route from Istanbul to Amasya. There are rock tombs from the Roman Period to the south of the castle. There are rock tombs from the Roman Period at the foot of the steep cliff on which the castle was built. Bastions were placed on all four sides of the castle, which was built to narrow upwards.

Clock Tower

Çorum Clock Tower

It was built in the center of the city and in minaret style. The Clock Tower was built in 1894 (H. 1312) by II. It was built with the support of Hasan Pasha, who was the Besiktas Guard of the sultan (Seven Eight) during the reign of Abdulhamid. The bell of the tower was carefully selected by Hasan Pasha and sent from Istanbul. It is 27.5 meters high. Its base is eight-sided and has a diameter of 5.3 meters and each corner is 2.1 meters. The body of the main tower has 24 corners and a diameter of 3.9 meters. The tower is reached by a spiral staircase with eighty-one steps. The diameter of the circle containing the numerals of the clock is 1.5 meters, the length of the minute hand is 85 cm, and the length of the hour hand is 70 cm. While minaret lines can be seen in the section up to the balcony of the clock tower, after the balcony, a narrower rectangular body than the main body carries the clock and the bell. In this context, we can say that an architectural synthesis has been made. Experts state that the architectural structure of the Clock Tower is different from other towers and that although the stone used is not durable, it is an easily processed material. It is said that the sound of the clock's bell was very strong in the first years and could be heard even from the villages of the center. However, during the restoration investigation, it was determined that a deep hole was formed by the hammer hitting the same point for years, and therefore the sound of the bell decreased.

Castles

Osmancık Kandiber Castle

The castle, located in the east-west direction to the north of Kızılırmak in Osmancık district of Çorum, is 275 m. It was built on a high natural rock. It was built on the natural rock on the northern edge of Kızılırmak in the District Center. There is a second gate inside the castle, which dates back to the Seljuk Period. The castle is on the trade route from Istanbul to Amasya. There are rock tombs from the Roman Period to the south of the castle. Although it is not certain when and by whom the castle, also known as Kandıber Castle, was built, it is thought to date back to the Seljuk period. However, the castle was repaired several times in different periods and lost its character. This castle is also on the trade route extending from Istanbul to Amasya and serves as a police station. Roman period rock tombs to the south of the castle indicate that Romans lived here. Rubble stone with Khorasan mortar was used in the construction of the square planned castle. In addition, ruins of a bath carved into the rocks were also encountered. It has survived to the present day in a very dilapidated state.