see
Osmaniye
Karatepe-Aslantaş Open-air Museum
24 kilometres east from Kadirli district, Karatepe Castle is a unique example of defensive architecture as a frontier castle of Adanava –a city state that during Late Hittite Period in Anatolia. Its construction was ordered by “the region’s sovereign” Azatiwada in 8th century BCE to defend the city against attacks from the north.
Archaeological importance of Karatepe-Aslantaş is due to its bilingual inscriptions (in Phoenician and Luwian) – also known as the Karatepe Bilingual and the Azatiwada inscription, it is frequently compared to the Rosetta Stone. Basalt steles and reliefs on its doors have inscriptions written both in Phoenician alphabet and Luwian hieroglyphics (being the longest text in this combination) it has played a very important role for the decipherment of the Luwian language.
Located in the 4341-hectare national park bearing the same name, Karatepe-Aslantaş Archaeological Site (Karatepe-Aslantaş Arkeoloji Alanı) is a perfect example of successful archaeological conservation and welcomes visitors as the first and the biggest open-air museum of Türkiye. The site is surrounded by natural beauties, history, wildlife and the Aslantaş Dam.
Karatepe-Aslantaş Archaeologic Site was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List (UNESCO Dünya Mirasları Geçici Listesi) in 2020.
Kastabala Ruins (Castabala)
Kastabala, called Hierapolis in the ancient period, is a very important ancient city in Çukurova Region. The city is worth seeing with its ancient theatre, castle, baths and colonaded avenues.
Almost all of the remains that have survived in Kastabala date back from the Roman Period including two churches from the first half of the 6th century. The city was a very important religious centre in Roman and Byzantine periods but was largely damaged because of the earthquakes on 524 and 561 and lost its importance as a settlement after the Crusades. The castle called Bodrum Castle, was added to the site after the 13th century.
Ala Mosque
Located at Kadirli district centre and called also Çukurova’s Agia Sophia, Ala Mosque (Ala Cami) is the most important edifice of Osmaniye, encompassing Roman, Byzantine and Turkish-Islamic civilisations all together. Built as a Roman temple at the beginning of 2nd century, it was transformed into a church with an architectural addition in the 5th century, during the eastern-roman period. Ala Cami is also a major cultural asset in terms of socio-culture and religion. The excavations showed that the mosque, together with its crypt, was built as a church and that it used to be covered with mosaics. The temple has been used as a mosque since the Beylik of Dulkadir.
Toprakkale Castle
Toprakkale Castle (Toprakkale Kalesi) dates back to the 2000 BCE. The castle has a rectangular plan, 12 bastions and outer court fortification, and it was restructured under Abbasid Caliph Harun al-Rashid (8th century) using black stones. Toprakkale Castle, is built on a man-made hill, at the very junction of Osmaniye-Adana and Hatay roads. In Ottoman times, it was called the Kınık Castle (Kınık Kalesi).
Harun Reşit Castle
The castle was built in 799 by Faraç Bey, the frontiersman of Abbasid Caliph Harun al-Rashid, in order to protect the region and the surrounding strategic routes, and ensure connection and support with other castles. Khorasanian Turkish mercenaries were stationed in the castle and surrounding lands. Built on natural cliffs, the castle was conquered by the Byzantines in the 10th century, Mamluks in the 13th century and Egyptians in the 14th century. Harun Reşit Castle remains loyal to its original plan.
Osmaniye Plateau
Plateaus are amongst assets that play a major role in Osmaniye’s history, and they inhold components of rural life and nature. In addition, plateaus are also home to the âşık (popular Turkish troubadours’) tradition. There are numerous plateaus in mountains that surround Osmaniye province such as Zorkun, Ürün, Olukbaşı, Fenk, Mitisin, Bağdaş, Çığşar, Maksutoluğu, Almacık and Almanpınarı.
Haruniye Thermal Spring
Located on a land full of trees along Ceyhan River, Haruniye thermal spring, offers a breath-taking view, healing waters and a perfect opportunity to relax and recover.
