Kara Hisar-ı Şarkî

Kara Hisar-ı Şarkî, the eastern black fortress, stands beneath a great castle above the Kelkit valley. Its other name, Şapkarahisar, recalls the alum mined nearby. Used in dyeing, tanning and medicine, this valuable mineral travelled north towards the Black Sea and reached European textile centres. The castle guarded both the mines and the road to the coast.

The town passed between several Anatolian dynasties before Mehmed II took its fortress after the defeat of Uzun Hasan at Otlukbeli in 1473. The surrounding mining villages then came under Ottoman administration, and their alum works were placed under the treasury. Kara Hisar became the centre of a district that stretched towards the coast, allowing its mineral wealth to reach markets beyond the mountains.