Solomon's Tower (1536)

History and General Information / Local Legends and Folklore Suleiman's Tower was built in 1536 by the order of Suleiman the Magnificent, the World Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, and is a monumental Ottoman sea surveillance and coastal fortress that ensures the security of the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Iskenderun. The tower was erected on a strategic coastal cape to prevent the Knights of Rhodes and Malta, who were pirates in the Mediterranean after the conquest of Rhodes, from raiding the coasts of Çukurova and to protect the caravan ports. It is the rarest and surviving single defense tower of the Ottoman coastal fortification architecture in the south, with its cylindrical and octagonal cut stone architecture, cannon portholes on the upper floor and vaulted observation rooms. Geographical Structure, Altitude and Natural Features It is located 2 km west of Yumurtalık district center, on a high coastal cape overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Its altitude is 18 meters. Its surroundings are covered with olive groves, red pines and Mediterranean maquis. The entire gulf and open sea horizon can be viewed uninterruptedly from the tower. Visiting Hours, Days and Entrance Fees