Tekkale

“One castle”                                  Population: 550

People wanting to visit the ruined Georgian church at Dörtkilise from Yusufeli will pass through the Çoruh river valley  to quaint little Tekkale (One Castle), named after the extraordinary castle with a church beside it perched on a plug of rock just before you reach it. How it was built there is impossible to imagine.

What little information there is about the castle suggests that it was built in the 9th or 10th century when this part of Turkey formed part of the medieval Georgian state of Tao. It was never readily accessible to visitors and is now, alas, vanishing beneath the reservoir of the Yusueli Barajı (Dam). Will the top of it remain visible? Who knows.

Sleeping

As you come into the village you’ll pass on the left Cemil’s Pansiyon (Tel: 0466-811 2908), a basic walkers’ hangout that advertises cold beers and hot showers in that order.

Transport info

You may be able to find a dolmuş to Tekkale from Yusufeli but don’t bank on it. The odds are high that you’ll need to get here by taxi.