Hacıhamza Castle and Caravanserai
Hacıhamza Castle is the Ottoman-era castle that formed the original settlement core of Hacıhamza, a town belonging to Kargı district, and it encloses a building complex within its walls. It is described in detail in the cultural heritage inventory record on the Kültür Portalı (Culture Portal) of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
History
The castle has a plan resembling an isosceles trapezoid. Sharia court registry records state that it was built under Sultan Ahmed III in the year 1136 of the Hijri calendar, corresponding to 1723 CE. This Ottoman castle housed the town’s population within its walls until the 1940s. The structure was registered as a protected monument on 14 April 1978, under registration number A-1058.
Given its location on the historic Osmancık–Kastamonu route, Hacıhamza is a settlement and building group distinct from Kargı’s other historic complex, the Sinan Paşa Complex, which stands in the district center; the sources do not indicate any direct connection between the two. Listed among the towns belonging to Kargı district in general histories of the area, Hacıhamza — through both its own castle-complex and its position on the Kızılırmak valley — is one more example illustrating that Kargı served as an important passage and stopping point during the Seljuk and Ottoman periods.
Architecture
Within the castle walls stands a complex consisting of a mosque, a madrasa, a caravanserai (han) and a bathhouse. The castle walls are built of rubble stone bound with mortar. Of the castle’s original gates, only the north gate has survived to the present; known locally as the “Küçük Kapı” (Small Gate), its dimensions suggest it was designed primarily for pedestrian passage. The east gate has been destroyed, and houses have since been built in its place. Although parts of the castle have collapsed and houses have been built over some sections, the structure as a whole has survived to the present day.
Location and Related Places
Hacıhamza Castle and its caravanserai form an important stop completing Kargı district’s historic fabric. For the district’s general history and its other historic buildings, see the History of Kargı page; for the district’s other Ottoman-era building complex, see the Sinan Paşa Complex and Sinan Paşa Caravanserai pages. For Kargı’s religious architecture, the Mihri Hatun Mosque and Oğuz Village Mosque pages can also be consulted.