Kov (Esenyut) Castle

The castle is within the borders of Esenyurt (Kov) Village in the central district and 21 km from the city center. The castle is reached by a 7 km road from Pirahmet Village in the central district on the Gümüşhane - Erzincan State Highway. Kov castle was restored in 2007 with the cooperation of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Gümüşhane Governorship.

The castle and its surroundings are an “Archaeological Site”. Kov Castle is the most magnificent castle still standing in the Eastern Black Sea Region. Estimated to have been built in 1361 by Alexios III, the castle is known to have been used during the Seljuk Period.

The castle was built on a 130 meter high bedrock and the altitude at its highest point is 1,760 m. The castle has a rectangular plan with angular walls and is supported by round and regular bastions. The structure, which consists of an outer castle and an inner castle, also has spaces such as cisterns and kitchens.

During the surveys conducted by Atatürk University in and around the castle, sherds of medieval and recent ceramics were found.