Bitlis Castle The Bitlis Castle, built in 312 BC by Badlis, a general under Alexander the Great, is situated in the city of Bitlis, named after the commander. The castle is a formidable structure, with a circumference of 2800 meters and a height of 56 meters. Its 7-meter-thick fortified walls originally surrounded not just the castle itself, but also 300 households, an inn, a mosque, and other buildings. Today, only the castle remains, featuring 670 battlements, and there are no defensive ditches due to its placement on a steep cliff. Restoration efforts began in 2004 and have continued periodically. In 641, Bitlis and its castle were captured by Iyad bin Gane during the reign of Omar bin al-Khattab. Under the Seljuk Empire, Bitlis became part of the Ottoman Empire by the 16th century. During the First World War, Bitlis was occupied by the Russians for five months in 1916, but was recaptured by Turkish forces under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal on August 8th of the same year. If you have any questions or inquiries regarding Bitlis Castle, please don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected] or simply message us via Whatsapp, and we will respond as soon as possible.