Maiden
Maiden's Castle is a historical castle located in Erdemli district of Mersin. The castle, which is located on a 15,000 m² island located on the Mediterranean Sea 300 m from the coast, covers most of the island.
History
Its distance from Mersin center is about 80 km. Although the touristic town is named after Kızkalesi, the island was used by pirates in ancient times and was built during the period of Alexios I in the period following the First Crusade.
Structure
Kızkalesi, which has been restored in recent years, has been preserved with eight towers. The outer perimeter of the castle is 192 meters.
Myth
The king of Korykos always prayed for a child. In the end, his wish was granted and he had a daughter. The king's daughter became more beautiful as she grew up. Kings and princes who heard about his fame wanted to marry him.
One day, an oracle was invited to the palace by the king in the city of Korykos. When the oracle saw the king's daughter, he was startled. When the king forced the oracle to tell him what had happened, he said, “A snake will bite your daughter and she will die. No one will be able to break this destiny and you will not be able to prevent it.”
Thereupon, the king had a castle built on a small islet close to the shore opposite the Korykos Castle. He kept his daughter in this castle by giving her servants. One day, when the girl got sick of grapes, a snake found in the basket sent from the palace came out and bit her and the girl died a short time later.
