ZERZEVAN CASTLE

Zerzevan Castle is located in the Çınar district of Diyarbakır province, on the Diyarbakır Mardin highway. An important military garrison on the eastern border of Rome, the castle has a rich history dating back approximately 3,000 years to the Assyrian period (882–611 BC). During the Persian period (550–331 BC), this settlement, situated on the King's Road, was used to ensure road security. Archaeological findings in the area reveal that the settlement was used during the Parthian (140–85 BC), Late Hellenistic, and Early Roman periods, from the 2nd century BC to the 3rd century AD. During the Roman period, in the 3rd century AD, the present military settlement was built during the Severan dynasty (198–235 AD). The settlement's walls and structures were repaired during the reigns of Anastasius I (491–518 AD) and Justinian I (527–565 AD); some structures were completely rebuilt, bringing them to their final form. The settlement was continuously inhabited until the Islamic armies conquered the region in 639.