File:Snake Castle - Yılankale 2671.jpg

English: This is a picture in a set, almost all taken in March 2008, showing a climb into the castle, looking around and then descending. As a good map of the ground plan was not available, it was impossible to describe in detail what is depicted, though there are so many pictures that a rough impression of the lay-out can be made. According to an Adana brochure it was built in the 11th century – as a crusaders castle - along the road from Antakya that later crosses the Taurus Mountains. It has 8 round towers, and the entrance gate is to the South. The garrison part of the castle, on top of the hill, has a church as well as a cistern. It was first called Govara, but by the time Evliya Çelebi, a famous travel author mentioned it in 1671 its’ name was Şahreman Castle. He suggested snakes with haired necks that were horn-headed lived here. Hence the current name. From the castle, on a clear day that is, one can see several other of the 40 castles the region contains.