A medieval castle in İzmir Belevi: Keçi̇ Kalesi̇ (History, strategic importance and architecture)

Keçi Kalesi is located on the Alaman Mountain near the Belevi Town of Selçuk District of İzmir. It was built against the rising Turkish invasions by the Byzantine Empire. During the Komnenos dynasty, there is a great activity of constructing defensive structures in order to protect the people in the countryside. In the period of Manuel Komnenos, a step was taken in an administrative sense and a new thema organization named Neocastra (New Castle) was established. The name of this thema organization comes from fortifications and castles that had been built in the district of it. During this period many large and small fortifications had been built in Western Anatolia. As a part of this defensive network, Keçi Kalesi had been buit to give shelter people around it. Except western wall, entire castle is steady. The castle had been built, near cities of Ephesos and Metropolis. The position of castle controls the road that leads to western Anatolian cities. It was built on a steep hill, above the 300 meter of sea level.