Jiha Castle
Ciha Castle (Laz: Lamğoşi Cixa) is a castle located in Pazar district of Rize province. It is estimated that the castle was used for communication and surveillance purposes and was built by the Genoese in the 14th century. It is 7 kilometers away from Pazar district. It is located east of Hemşin Creek. It has a circular plan. There is an entrance gate supported by two towers in the north-east of the castle. There is another tower with a circular plan in the middle of the castle.
The old name of Yücehisar village where the castle is located is Lamğo. “Lamğoşi ciha”, the Laz name of the castle, also takes its name from here. Since some sources write that the castle is located in the village of Şentepe, it is also known as Ğulivat Castle. It has been forgotten over time that the word “Ciha” means castle in Laz and the name of the castle has passed into Turkish as “Ciha Castle”.
The walls of the castle vary from region to region, but are 1.2 to 1.8 meters wide. The interior is 27 meters long and 22 meters wide. The northeast of the castle is very well preserved. The maximum height of the castle is 6 to 7 meters. The altitude of the hill on which it stands is 350 meters and the castle covers an area of 640 square meters.
