This castle, reminiscent of a fantasy movie, has a railway system inside

Built on a steep rock formation, the approximately 2,500-year-old castle is thought to have been constructed around 250 BC during the reign of Pontic King Mithridates II.

Various arrangements were made as part of the restoration works launched in 2018 to make the castle more accessible to visitors.

As part of these efforts, wooden stairs and viewing terraces were built to facilitate access to the castle. A rail system was also installed to provide access to the tunnel inside the castle.

Ünye Castle is said to be the only castle in the world where visitors can descend into its tunnel using a rail system. Visitors can reach the tunnel inside the castle by rail and explore previously difficult-to-access sections of the historic structure.

ABOUT CASTLE

Ünye Castle is an approximately 2,500-year-old historic castle built on a steep rock formation along the Ünye-Niksar road, about 5–7 kilometers from the city center of Ünye, Ordu.

The castle is notable for its elevated location, fortifications, tunnels, cisterns and rock-cut tombs.

The castle held strategic importance during the Roman and Pontic periods and continued to be used during the Ottoman period. Traces from different periods can still be seen at the site.

ROCK-CUT TOMB

One of the castle's most striking features is the rock-cut tomb carved into the main rock, approximately 8–10 meters above ground level near the entrance. The tomb is associated with the Paphlagonian rock-cut tomb tradition.

The tomb, which features eagle reliefs on its triangular pediment, is attributed to Mithridates II in some sources.

Near the summit of the castle, there are two tunnels extending northwest.

One of them, with approximately 420 steps, appears to descend all the way to the foothills of the castle.

In addition to its fortifications, the castle contains bathhouse remains, pools, water channels, cisterns, caves and wells. Today, it is one of Ünye's important tourist attractions, both for its historic character and its striking appearance atop the rocky terrain.

Gladiator battles once took place here