Akdağmadeni Muşalikalesi (Behramşah Castle)

Since the castle is an open-air area on a hill, spring and summer months are the most comfortable period for visiting. In winter months, village roads can be closed due to snow and ice. If you plan to go between October and April, check local weather and road conditions in advance. Those who go near sunset can catch a wide view from the hilltop.

From Yozgat city center, you can go to Akdağmadeni district, and from there to Muşalikalesi Village by private car; the total duration is approximately 1 hour. Public transportation options are limited. Therefore, it is more practical to go by your own car or by researching minibus schedules departing from the district in advance. After reaching the village, the ascent to the castle requires a short walk, sturdy shoes will be useful when climbing the hill.

One to one and a half hours is sufficient to visit the castle and the two surrounding tombs together. Those who want to take photos or sit on the hill and watch the view can extend their time. It can also be included in a half-day trip plan by combining it with other points of Akdağmadeni.

First climbing to the castle to examine the general view and the bastion ruins, then descending to the Ali Çelebi Tomb on the western slope, and then to the Mahmut Çelebi Tomb below, is a logical sequence. This way, a route descending from high to low is followed, eliminating the need for a strenuous climb back up.

The highest point of the hill offers the opportunity to frame both the zigzag stone masonry of the castle walls and the general view of the village and surrounding land. Sunset is preferred in images shared on social media. It is observed that the stone texture becomes clearer in the hours when the light is low.

The castle has not been restored and is a structure exposed to natural erosion. Therefore, climbing the walls or running near them carries risks. The tombs are simple but respectful burial structures; there are broken tombstones inside, it would be appropriate to visit without touching them. Since the path leading up the hill can be narrow, walk carefully in windy and rainy weather.

The castle is believed to have belonged to Necmeddin Bahramşah-ı Candar, one of the emirs of the Anatolian Seljuk Sultan Gıyaseddin Keykavus period (1237-1246). For this reason, it is also known as Behramşah Castle. According to the inscriptions of the tombs to its west, the burial structures belonging to Ali Çelebi and his son Mahmut Çelebi were built in the second half of the 15th century, between 1466-1477. The region stands out as a quiet historical stop bearing the traces of the transition period from Seljuk to Ottoman.

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