However, it eventually fell into the hands of successive conquerors and ironically reached its height during the centuries of rule under the empire’s mortal enemy, the Ottoman Turks. Mosques and harems were added within the castle walls and eventually the Christian inhabitants were thrown out following a failed peasant rebellion.
Today the castle walls still house the remains of numerous historical buildings as well as winding, romantic streets lined with cafes, restaurants, boutique hotels and shops. Some of the notable surviving structures include the Acropolis of Its Kale, Soufari Serai where ruler Ali Pasha housed his cavalry riders, the tomb of Ali Pasha, the cook shops of the castle as well as the beautifully restored mosque of Fetiye Cami. The Byzantine and Ethnographic museums can also be found within the castle walls and are certainly worth visiting.