Çimenlik Castle (Kale-i Sultaniye) was built on a flat area at the mouth of the Sarıçay River, on the Anatolian side of the Dardanelles Strait, at its narrowest point. The castle was constructed between 1461 and 1462 by Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror to secure control over the strait. Measuring 110 by 160 meters, the rectangular structure consists of outer defensive walls and a central main tower. Inside the walls, a space originally built as a gunpowder magazine now serves as the Piri Reis Gallery. Additionally, there are two mosques within the courtyard. The Fatih Mosque was constructed alongside the castle, while the Abdulaziz Mosque was built between 1861 and 1876 by Sultan Abdulaziz. In the 19th century, the entire western wall, parts of the northern and western fortifications, and the corner towers on the western side were demolished to make way for a bastion. This bastion includes four artillery bunkers (bonets), built from rubble stone and brick, with facades facing the castle clad in cut stone. During the Gallipoli Campaign of 1915, the castle served as the command center for the Central Defense Group. On March 18, 1915, a shell fired from the British battleship Queen Elizabeth struck the northern wall, creating a 2-meter-wide hole. The shell did not explode and still remains embedded at the spot where it landed. Today, Çimenlik Castle functions as a museum. Its courtyard exhibits various military artifacts including cannons, gun carriages, anti-tank weapons, naval mines, and the remains of a German submarine recovered from the sea.

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