Rumkale
An ancient castle on a cliff above the Euphrates, once the seat of the Armenian Church. Visitors can take a boat up to the fortress for views over the green river valley.
Rumkale, meaning 'Roman Castle' (called Hromkla in Armenian), sits on a cliff at the confluence of the Euphrates and Merzimen rivers. Its origins date back to the Assyrian and Roman periods. In the 12th and 13th centuries it served as the headquarters of the Armenian Catholic Church, before being captured by the Mamluks. Inside the fortress are remains of a church, a monastery, a well, stables, and city walls, and restoration and archaeological work have been ongoing in recent years. Since the Birecik Dam created its reservoir, the castle is surrounded by water on three sides. The most common way to get there is by boat from Halfeti or a nearby pier (round trip about 1 to 2 hours), followed by a steep walk uphill from the landing. Non-slip shoes are recommended. It lies about 1.5 hours by car from Gaziantep and is usually combined with Halfeti as a day trip.
Opening hours
About 8:00 AM–6:00 PM (closes earlier in winter); boats depart during the day
Nearby sights
- Halfeti
- Zeugma Ancient City
- Zeugma Mosaic Museum
- Doliche (Dülük) Ancient City
- Gaziantep Mevlevi Lodge Museum
- Tahmis Coffee House
- Coppersmiths Bazaar
- Zincirli Bedesten