Harran Castle

Its exact founding date is unknown but it appears to have been built at some point during the time Harran was under Byzantine rule (4th–7th centuries) and was originally a palace.

[3] Some scholars believe the castle was founded on top of the ruins of the Ekhulkhul,[5] the ancient pagan moon temple of Harran.

Both the castle and the Harran Grand Mosque [tr] are described in literary sources as having been built on the temple; the castle is further supported on account of its higher elevation[5] but the mosque is generally favored due to having been a place of worship and by evidence such as Babylonian inscriptions and four stelae of the Babylonian king Nabonidus (who restored the Elkhulkhul) having been found among its ruins.

[6] The castle was originally a palace and was only converted into a more militaristic fortress during politically uncertain periods in the 11th to 13th centuries.

[9] Most of the present structure of the castle dates to the time of the Ayyubids[5] c. 1200,[10] following renovation work made conducted by Sultan Al-Adil I (r.

[4] At the time Harran was abandoned and left desolate by the Mongol Empire in 1271, the castle had been heavily damaged.

[12] As part of recent excavation and conservation efforts supported by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism,[13] the castle was in 2012–2014[14] partially reconstructed using stonework similar to what would have been used in the historical building.