Historical defense structures of Ordu province

Ordu stands out as an intriguing province in the Black Sea Region with its geography and history. The province possesses a dazzling natural landscape with its indented coastline, steep mountains that rise as one moves inland, and lush vegetation. In addition, it is known that Ordu has a historically rich past. The history of the region in which the province is located dates back to ancient times. It has been understood that many communities and civilizations once lived in this region. In our study, 18 defensive structures that have survived from the civilizations that ruled in Ordu were examined within the discipline of Art History. The scientific examination, documentation, and promotion of these cultural heritages have been deemed necessary. In the field studies we carried out in different districts of the province, the current states of the structures were documented with photographs. Furthermore, the plans and plan-sketches of the structures whose remains could be traced were included in the study. The analyzed structures have been presented in a catalog, along with their locations, historical backgrounds, plans, and architectural features. These structures have also been compared and evaluated both among themselves and with certain defensive structures from the Black Sea Region. It has been observed that most of the defensive structures identified in the province have survived to the present day in a severely damaged condition. This study is significant in terms of addressing the lack of research on defensive structures in the province of Ordu.