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From Kastamonu’s city center, it’s easy to make your way up to the castle district and Kastamonu Castle (Kastamonu Kalesi).
Mosques
On the way, you’ll pass two historic mosques. The first is the Yakup Ağa Mosque (Yakup Ağa Camii), built in 1547. The second is the Atabeygazi Mosque (Atabeygazi Camii), built in 1273.
Ottoman Homes
The castle district is where a high concentration of historic Ottoman homes can be found. At the time of my visit they were actually better observed from far away as many of them were under restoration or an eyesore from up close.
The Castle
Up a steep path past several souvenir stands is the Kastamonu Castle (Kastamonu Kalesi). It was originally built by Byzantine military leader Manuel Erotikos Komnenos. It was later conquered and rebuilt by the Çobanoğulları, a Seljuk beylik, in the early 13th century, and later fell to the Ottomans.
The castle itself is impressive although there’s not much to see at the top.
The dizzying views are even better than the castle itself and the best reason to visit.
