Kıyıköy

Places of interest

[edit] St. Nicholas' Monastery (Turkish: Aya Nikolas Manastırı) (Greek: Μονὴ του Ἁγίου Νικόλαου) is a rock-cut Byzantine era Orthodox monastery, built during the time of Emperor Justinian I (reigned 527-565). It is situated about 800 m (2,600 ft) southwest of the town. The monastery consists of a ground-floor chapel with cells for the monks and storerooms. The basement contains a holy well (hagiasma) (Turkish: ayazma) (Greek: ἁγίασμα). The monastery was renovated in 1856 by Metropolitan bishop Matthaios, who also built a wooden annex in front of it (it no longer exists). An inscription reading "St. Nikolas" in Greek lettering is engraved over the arched north entrance. Kıyıköy Fortress (Turkish: Kıyıkent Kalesi) is a fortification, also built during the reign of Justinian Il, that surrounds most of the old town. Examination of the mortar used suggests that it was renovated in the 9th and 10th centuries. The fortress is constructed on a hillside stretching to the coast between Pabuçdere in the north and Kazandere in the south. Its eastern part is completely ruined. The walls were built with cut stone and rubble masonry and are, in some places, 2.20 m (7.2 ft) thick and 2.50 m (8.2 ft) high. The walls around the second gate reach a height of 5 m (16 ft). They probably rose to 6 m (20 ft) near the (lost) second watchtower. A 13 m (43 ft) wide defensive moat stretched between the third and the sixth watchtower. A hidden gate to the south of the southern walls was connected to the fortress by 180 steps. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism restored the Vize Gate using stone, bricks and wood in 1991.