Historic · Körfez, Kocaeli
Hereke Fortress
A coastal fortress dating to the Roman period, restored and opened to visitors in 2023.
- History
Image coming soon
Hereke Fortress is thought to have been built during the Roman Empire, around the 640s. During the Ottoman conquest of İzmit, those who took refuge here fortified the castle, before the commander Ali Bey, sent by Orhan Gazi, took it and brought the area under Ottoman rule. Mentioned in Evliya Çelebi's Seyahatname, the roughly 1,400-year-old fortress was reopened to visitors after a restoration completed in 2023.