Magazberd

Magazberd or Maghasberd (Armenian: Մաղասաբերդ) is an archaeological site in Turkey's Kars Province, southwest of the ruined city of Ani. It consists of an Armenian castle and city, with a contemporary Ottoman cemetery in the narrow valley to the north.

Magazberd Castle is an Armenian fortress located on a rocky outcrop at a bend of the Akhuryan River.

The site may have originated as early as the 6th century, though most of the surviving structure dates to the period of the Bagratid Kingdom of Armenia (885–1045), and the Ottoman Empire (1299–1922). Its importance grew after Ani became the Armenian capital in 961, with Magazberd and nearby fortresses such as Tignis forming part of the city's defensive network. The castle was later held by the Seljuks following their invasion of Anatolia, passed into Georgian control at the end of the 12th century, and came under the rule of the Hatunoğulları dynasty during the Mongol invasions of the 1350s. In 1579 it was captured by the Ottomans, who maintained it until its decline in the mid-19th century.

Today, the ruins of Magazberd Castle lie near the Kurdish village of Üçbölük in eastern Turkey, within a designated...