İskilip Castle
The castle on the rocky hill in the town centre, built in the Roman period and used in the Seljuk and Ottoman periods. Panoramic views of the İskilip plain and the surrounding mountains can be enjoyed from the castle.
View on map7 places to visit in the İskilip district of Çorum: İskilip Castle, Grand Mosque and İskilip Historic Houses. Plan your trip to İskilip with local food, practical tips and transport information.
İskilip is a district of Çorum province, with an area of 1,170 km² and an elevation of 733 metres. The word İskilip first appears in the Sumerian epic of Gilgamesh in the form ‘iškila-bi’.
Hatti and Hittite Period
Various sources suggest that settlement in the region goes back to the arrival of the Hittites in Anatolia (3000 BC). İskila is thought to have been a settlement area of the early Hatti civilisation.
Phrygian and Paphlagonian Period
In terms of written sources, the recorded history of İskilip goes back to 700 BC, to the Paphlagonian State. The Paphlagonians arrived in Anatolia after 1000 BC and emerged as an independent state after the collapse of the Hittite Empire. İskilip, known in Ancient Greek as Askilepiyon (God of Health), was an important settlement in antiquity.
Roman and Byzantine Period
In the Roman period, İskilip was incorporated by Justinian I into the province of Helenopontus, and it became one of the province’s three important settlements. In Byzantine times İskilip is said to have been one of three important cities.
Seljuk and Ottoman Period
After the Battle of Manzikert in 1071, İskilip came under the rule of the Anatolian Seljuk State in 1075. Over time İskilip continued its historical course as one of the most important settlements of the Ottoman Empire.
History and Culture
In the Roman period İskilip retained its geostrategic importance. Byzantine rule was ended by the Danishmendids. Ebussuud is said to have been born in İskilip, and the town is reported to have been used as a suburb until the 15th–16th centuries.
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