Loop trail Beçin Castle and Denizcik Lake - Forests and an interesting archaeological area.

This very easy walk consists of a visit to Beçin Castle and a walk through the pine forests nearby. The terrain is usually quite flat so there are almost no height differences, which makes the walk generally very relaxing.

Some information about the Beçin Castle

Beçin Castle: "The Capital of Civilizations"

In the ancient era, the southwestern part of Anatolia, referred to as Caria in antiquity and as the Menteşe province during the Ottoman period, was under the control of the Menteşe Principality from the second half of the 13th century until the early 15th century. Beçin (Peçin), located approximately 5 km from Milas, was among the places where the principality was administered.

The city, alternatively known as Barçın or Berçin in ancient texts, was recorded as Petzona in a treaty between Ilyas Bey of the Menteşe dynasty and the Venetians in the year 1414.

Despite Milas, which continued to exist on the ancient city of Mylasa, having a cosmopolitan structure consisting of Christians, Jews, and, with the arrival of the Turks, Muslims, Beçin was chosen as the administrative center due to its more defensible topographical structure. The city, which took its final form during the Byzantine period and the subsequent Turkish era, consists of the Inner Castle, situated on a rocky hill in the north, and the lower city surrounded by walls. In the Inner Castle, there are structures such as abandoned houses, a tomb monument from the Hellenistic period, and Turkish period structures like a hammam (bathhouse) and cistern.

Ascending from the entrance road to the city, one reaches the city square surrounded by Ahmed Gazi Medrese, Orhan Mosque, tombs, Hanikâh, and the Domed Fountain. The recently uncovered street layout provides valuable information about the formation of the medieval Turkish city. Together with the Yelli (Kepez) Medrese outside the city walls, it is observed that efforts were made to turn Beçin into the center of knowledge of the Menteşe Principality, including Karapaşa Medrese, Orman Tekkesi, and other lodges.

Until the year 1424, the city was under the rule of the Menteşe dynasty, after which it definitively came under the administration of the Ottoman Empire. During the Ottoman period, the city did not experience significant development, and its population gradually decreased. In the early 17th century, during the Celali uprisings, the city residents withdrew entirely to the Inner Castle, and after the 1950s, the last families living within the castle also abandoned Beçin.

Ahmed Gazi Medrese (madrasah, Arabic: “school”): The only structure with an inscription that has reached the present day in Beçin, the medrese was built in 1375 by Menteşe Bey Ahmed Gazi.

Karapaşa Medrese: Located outside the city walls to the south of Beçin, the structure's roof and facades are in a dilapidated state. The walls of the building, which we have included in the group of open courtyard medreses with a single floor and single iwan (porch), are still partly standing. There are three student cells on the east and west sides. The fact that the medrese was located outside the city walls suggests that it may have been built in a relatively late period, probably in the first half of the 15th century.

Orhan Mosque: Located across from Ahmed Gazi Medrese, to the west of Mültezim Evi and Sofuhâne, only a small part of the mosque has survived to the present day. The surviving parts include some of the body walls, the mihrab niche, and the entrance gate consisting of marble cornices and lintels on the north facade.
Among the two buildings with inscriptions in Beçin, the inscription of Orhan Mosque has not survived untill the present day. However, we learn information about the mosque's inscription from the travelogue of the famous 17th-century traveler Evliya Çelebi (1611-1682). Evliya Çelebi used the following expressions for Orhan Mosque in his work:
"This blessed mosque was built by the victorious, glorious, triumphant Emir, the Sultan of the Turkish Gazi warriors, Şucaü’d-devle’d-din Orhan Ibn. Mesud in the year 732. May Allah bless his victories"... "It has no minaret, and the mosque with a soil-covered roof is ancient. It has sixteen columns in the mosque, and the mosque itself is supported by pine and cypress beams."

Source:
https://mugla.ktb.gov.tr/TR-177908/becin-kalesi.html

About this hike.
The walk departs right next to Beçin Castle. We arrive there via an asphalt road that goes up quite a bit at the last moment. How could it be otherwise: a castle should be located in a strategic location. So preferably on a mountain, of course!
To visit the castle and the surrounding area we have to pay a ticket of 60 TRY (2023). We first walk past the castle (unfortunately it is closed due to the risk of collapse) and then past the area where the other buildings are.
From there we will follow a white and red marked hiking trail to the Denizcik Lake (about 3 km from the beginning).
After admiring the beautiful lake, we leave the marked hiking trail and continue on dirt roads through a vast forest. At two occasions we pass a house, so in general we are in full immersion in nature.
Eventually we arrive back at the compound of the Becin castle. But now we will follow a path that passes several interesting monuments. By only doing this at the end, we can better manage our time and see how much energy we have left.
And so we pass the Menteşe Cemetery, the Yelli Mosque and the Emir Courtyard to name just a few of the highlights.

Some additional information:
The route is designed in a clockwise direction.
Time spent: total = 6 hours 32 minutes of which moving = 2 hours 52 minutes
The track is easy from a technical point of view.
Presence of white-red signposts:
The first 2,4 km and the last 1,4 km
There is no drinking water along the way.

If you think this is a nice track, please write a feedback. If you have had any problems, please comment and explain the solution you found. Remember that it takes less time to write a comment or review than it takes to create and post a track! But only in this way the information remains up-to-date.

Disclaimer.

I have personally performed and then downloaded the route described, along with the track and waypoints, based on my personal experience. However, it is important to note that these should be considered as general guides and not precise instructions. Trails may not always accurately represent the exact itinerary due to factors such as weak satellite reception during GPS recording, especially in areas with ravines, deep gorges, dense forests, and similar conditions. Furthermore, the situation of the hiking trails may change over time, meaning that the descriptions given no longer correspond to the current situation.

It is the sole responsibility of the individual undertaking these trails to take appropriate safety measures, which should be tailored to the specific difficulty level and be in accordance to the prevailing weather conditions. Additionally, it should be realized that one's technical and physical preparedness play a crucial role in ensuring a safe hiking experience.

I strongly recommend hiking with a companion when venturing into the mountains. Always inform a friend or family member of your itinerary and estimated time of return. Ensure that your phone has a sufficient battery charge, and carry an adequate supply of water, food, and appropriate shelter for the season and the chosen route.

Please commit to leaving the natural environment as pristine as you found it, or even better. This way, we can all continue to enjoy the beauty of these trails, leaving behind only the traces of our footsteps.