Two Medieval Castles from Düzce: Akçakoca (Dia) and Beyköy (Embolos) Castles
Düzce, situated on the border of Eastern Bithynia, has received less attention than other places in Turkey about its medieval and Byzantine history, architecture, and art. By examining and introducing the two castles in Düzce, called Akçakoca and Beyköy Castle due to their location, it is aimed to partially illuminate the history, defence network and architecture of the region and to contribute to the literature in this field. The reason for choosing Akçakoca and Beyköy Castle as the subject of the study is that there is no scientific study that contains detailed information and current data about the two castles. Akçakoca (Dia) Castle on the coastline and Beyköy (Embolos) Castle in the interior were built on important commercial-military routes in the region. Research on the architectural features and masonry techniques of the castles indicates that they were built and repaired in the Middle Ages, probably during the Komnenos period. These castles, shaped according to the topography of the land on which they were built, do not have a proper plan. This study aims to provide a detailed description of the walls, bastions, gates, and cisterns of the two castles in this article, as well as a cistern found inside the Akçakoca Castle.
Düzce’den İki Orta Çağ Kalesi: Akçakoca (Dia) ve Beyköy (Embolos) Kaleleri
Doğu Bithynia sınırlarında yer alan Düzce, Orta Çağ ile Bizans tarihi, mimarisi ve sanatı açısından ülkemizin diğer yerlerinden daha az tanınmaktadır. Düzce’de yer alan, konumları sebebiyle Akçakoca ve Beyköy Kalesi olarak adlandırılan iki kalenin incelenmesi ve tanıtılmasıyla, bölgenin tarihi, savunma ağı ve mimarisini kısmen de olsa aydınlatmak ve bu alandaki literatüre katkı sağlamak amaçlanmaktadır. Akçakoca ve Beyköy Kalesi’nin çalışma konusu olarak seçilmesinin nedeni, iki kale hakkında detaylı bilgiler içeren ve güncel verileri barındıran herhangi bir bilimsel çalışma olmayışıdır. Kıyı şeridinde yer alan Akçakoca (Dia) Kalesi ve iç kısımdaki Beyköy (Embolos) Kalesi bölgedeki önemli ticari-askeri yollar üzerinde kurulmuştur. Bu çalışmaya konu olan her iki kalenin ilk inşa tarihi kesin olarak bilinmemektedir. Kalelerin mimari özellikleri ve duvar tekniklerinin anolojisi Orta Çağ’da, muhtemelen Komnenoslar döneminde inşa edildikleri ve onarım gördüklerine işaret eder. Kuruldukları arazinin topoğrafyasına göre şekillenmiş olan bu kaleler, düzgün bir plana sahip değillerdir. Her ikisi de büyük oranda yıkık vaziyetteyken Akçakoca Kalesi, son yıllardaki restorasyon çalışmalarıyla kısmen ayağa kaldırılmıştır. Arkeolojik kazıların azlığı ve tahribatın yoğunluğu sebebiyle kalelerin bölümleri ve içerisindeki yer alan binaları hakkında detaylı bilgi verilemez. Bu çalışmada daha çok kalelerin surları, burçları ve kapılarıyla, Akçakoca Kalesi içerisinde tespit edilen bir sarnıç detaylı şekilde açıklanmaya çalışılmıştır.
Due to the lack of archaeological excavations and art historical research, Düzce is less known than other regions of our country in terms of Medieval-Byzantine history, architecture, and art. Due to the scarcity of research in this region and the forested terrain, a comprehensive inventory list of the Medieval and Byzantine settlements and buildings in Düzce has not been fully compiled. Therefore, the defensive network and buildings of Düzce during the Medieval period are not well-known. The reason for choosing Akçakoca Castle and Beyköy Castle as the subjects of this article is to fill the existing gaps in these topics, at least to some extent. The aim of this article is to partially shed light on the Medieval history, defensive network, and buildings of the region by examining, introducing, and interpreting the details of the castles mentioned in the study and to contribute to the literature in this field. There is no comprehensive scientific publication containing detailed information and up-to-date data on Akçakoca Castle and Beyköy Castle. Several publications and theses have been written about Akçakoca Castle, providing brief and general information. However, none of them have described the castle’s plan in detail or provided drawings, nor have they explained topics such as wall technique in detail. Furthermore, the restoration work began in 2018, and the excavation studies conducted for this restoration have not been the subject of any scientific research. Until recently, the location of the castle’s main gate was unknown, but recent excavations have revealed it. This development shows how important it is to have up-to-date data in order to understand and introduce the castle. The same considerations that were mentioned for Akçakoca Castle are also valid for Beyköy Castle. Due to its location on a forested hill in the inland of Düzce, Beyköy Castle has been the subject of a few travelogues and publications. Therefore, this castle has not been introduced to the scientific world in detail. Akçakoca (Dia) Castle, which is located in the coastal region, is on the sea route that passes through the Black Sea coast and is one of the important stations on this route. Beyköy (Embolos) Castle, located inland of Düzce, was established at the intersection of the Nikomedia-Amaseia and the Dia-Modrene roads. The exact dates of the first construction of both castles, which are the subject of this study, are unknown. The findings from the surveys, the architectural features of the fortresses, and the analogy of the masonry techniques indicate that the two fortresses were built and repaired in the Medieval period, most probably during the Komnenos period. These castles did not have a regular plan, and they were shaped by the topography of the land on which they were built. Although both castles are mostly in ruins, Akçakoca Castle has undergone partial restoration recently. The Akçakoca Castle covers an area of 3812 square metres and is surrounded by a wall that is 260 metres long. The castle, which can be entered through a single gate located in the southwestern, is fortified with four towers along the length of its walls. Beyköy Castle, which is surrounded by a 380-meter-long wall and built on an area of 5,585 square metres. The castle, which can only be entered through a single gate located in the southwest, is fortified with five towers along its walls. In consideration of the scarcity of archaeological excavations and the intensity of the damage, it is not feasible to provide detailed information about the various sections of the castles and the buildings within them. This study aims to provide a detailed description of the walls, bastions, gates, and cisterns of the two castles under discussion in this article, as well as a cistern found within the Akçakoca Castle.
