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Hançerkale (literally "dagger castle") is the popular name given to a Byzantine observation tower ruin in Mersin Province, Turkey.
Contents
Geography
At 36°31′N 33°59′E, the tower is situated next to a mosque, in Ovacık village of Silifke district. It is 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) north of the Turkish state highway . It is accessible by an all-seasons open road. Its distance to Silifke is 17 kilometres (11 mi) and to Mersin is 97 kilometres (60 mi)
Building
Although the popular name of the ruin is castle, actually it was an observation tower built in the 6th century. The walls had been built by polygonal masonry technique. There are reliefs of a Dioskuri helmet, a shield, a sword and Herculus' Club on the southern wall.
References
Hançerkale Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA