Asarkale is located in the Kızılırmak Valley, three kilometers west of Asar Neighborhood in Bafra district of Samsun, and three kilometers away from Altınkaya Dam. The fortified castle is located approximately 24 kilometers south of Bafra as the crow flies, and approximately two to three kilometers southwest of Asar Neighborhood. It is known that Kızılırmak River formed the natural border of Paphlagonia and Pontos regions in ancient times, and Asarkale undertook the task of controlling the river valley (river and land route) connecting the inner parts of Anatolia to the Black Sea coast via Bafra. The castle, which was built right on the edge of the river to ensure the safety of land and river routes, dates back to the Hellenistic Period and is understood to have been one of the last observation and control stages of Kızılırmak (=Halys) before it flowed into the Black Sea (=Pontos Euxenios) in ancient times.
Asarkale, which was established on a rocky area that reaches a height of approximately 135 meters from the Kızılırmak River to the north, is known to have a slope of 45 degrees, but it is also known to have a much steeper and higher slope in places. When the natural formation of the rock is examined, it is seen that the castle includes lateral areas in the south and southeast directions, and has a general field of view of approximately 225 degrees from northwest to east.
Studies, research and examinations carried out in Asarkale and its surroundings until 2024 are limited in number. In 2024, a team under the presidency of Samsun Museum and the scientific responsibility of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kasım Oyarçin, faculty member of the Archaeology Department of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of Ondokuz Mayıs University, started archaeological excavations, restoration-conservation and landscaping works in the castle.
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