Mersin Kız Castlevisitor guide.

Coming under Roman rule in 80 BC, it passed into the hands of King Archelaus of Cappadocia in 20 BC. During Roman and subsequent Byzantine sovereignty, it grew into a major port city. In 479 AD, the Isaurians gained control over Corycus and Sebaste. In the 6th century, Corycus became a bishopric subordinated to Tarsus under the Patriarchate of Antioch. It was captured by the Sasanians in the early 7th century and by the Arabs in the late 7th century. In the 9th and 10th centuries, it belonged to the Theme of Seleucia. In 10th-century Arab itineraries, its name appears as 'Qurqos' alongside Korasion. A period of renewed development commenced in 1099. In that year, Emperor Alexios I commissioned architect Megas Droungarios Eustathios to construct the land castle. The same architect also built Silifke Castle. Both castles served as staging stations for travelers journeying from Constantinople to the Holy Land by sea. In the 12th century, it changed hands between Byzantines and Armenians. Corycus was also highly significant as a center of saffron cultivation under Mamluk Sultan Baybars in 1275. When the last lord of Corycus from the Hethumid dynasty, Oshin, was killed in 1329, it came under the rule of Leo IV. Facing pressure from the Karamanids in 1361, the people of Corycus requested assistance from the Kingdom of Cyprus and entered Cypriot protection. The Lusignans in Cyprus remained closely linked with Corycus until 1375. Conquered by Karamanid Ibrahim II in 1448, it passed into Ottoman hands in 1473–1474 and gradually lost its importance over time. Located 60 km southwest of Mersin in Kızkalesi Town, according to Herodotus the city was originally founded by a Cypriot prince named Korykos (Gorgos?). DOWNLOAD MUSEUM BROCHURE NEARBY MUSEUMS MERSIN MAIDEN'S CASTLE MERSIN SİLİFKE ATATÜRK HOUSE AND ETHNOGRAPHY MUSEUM AYATEKLA ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE SİLİFKE MUSEUM UZUNCABURÇ ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE HEAVEN AND HELL CHASM