The castle is in the northeast of the island, just north of the Bozcaada town at 39°50′N 26°04′E / 39.833°N 26.067°E / 39.833; 26.067 in Çanakkale Province.

Visitors to the castle use the ferry line from Geyikli in the mainland (Anatolia) to the island.

There was a castle on the island before the 14th century, of undocumented construction and date: it was possibly built by the Phoenicians, Romans or Venetians.

When Mehmet II of the Ottoman Empire conquered the island in 1455 he rebuilt the castle.

In July 1656, during the Cretan War, a Venice fleet commanded by Giacomo Loredano captured the castle.