30.04.2025 11:11
In the village of Bilek in Muş, villagers grazing their animals came across the ruins of a castle that bears historical traces in an area filled with thousands of wild pear trees. The structure, which was noticed among the natural vegetation, is believed to be a defensive structure from past periods. Local resident Şabeddin Çiçek stated, "When we throw a stone into it, it takes about two minutes for the stone to reach the bottom."
In the village of Bilek in Muş, villagers grazing their animals in the field discovered the ruins of a castle that bears historical traces in an area with thousands of wild pear trees.
Citizens living in Bilek village, located about 50 kilometers from the center of Muş, reached a new castle ruin during land work. The discovery of approximately 110,000 wild pear trees in the area drew attention, while villagers stated that these trees were planted intentionally and that wine production had taken place here in the past. On the right side of the route where the castle is located is the historical Çengili Church, and on the left are Karakale and Mercimek Castle Mound. This situation makes the discovered castle quite interesting from both historical and archaeological perspectives.
THEY WANT TO ILLUMINATE THE HISTORY OF THE REGION
The residents of Bilek village expressed their desire for a detailed examination of the castle and the initiation of archaeological excavation works in the area, stating that they hope the research will illuminate the region's history and contribute to the cultural tourism of Muş.
"WHEN WE THREW A STONE INSIDE..."
Şabeddin Çiçek, one of the residents of Bilek village, stated that this discovery could be equivalent to Göbeklitepe, saying, "My uncle Atik Bey said he discovered a castle with walls while grazing animals here. We conducted research with our own means. When I came to the area, we indeed found a wall that was 2 meters wide. We asked the elders of the village, and they said there was a structure here in the past. The structure had 4-5 ventilation chimneys on it. When we threw a stone inside, it took about two minutes for the stone to reach the bottom. We believe this structure is equivalent to Göbeklitepe. Because there are about 110,000 wild pear trees in the area. We learned that the pears harvested from these wild pear trees were used in wine production. We suspect that this castle was also used for wine production," he said.
"TREASURE HUNTERS HAVE DESTROYED THE STRUCTURE"
Mehmet Atik Özmen, another resident of Bilek village, recounted discovering the walls while grazing animals, saying, "I was grazing animals here. At that moment, I noticed that there was a structure. There was a hole at the top of the structure. I was dropping stones through that hole, and when I put my ear to it, I could hear the stone reaching the bottom after about two minutes. However, later treasure hunters came here and destroyed the structure. Those holes were lost during that time. Our expectation is for our government to investigate and protect this place. At the same time, we want the region to be developed for tourism. This will provide great benefits for both our village and our region. There are also important historical structures such as Kalecik Castle, Mercimek Castle, and the 360-room Çengili Monastery along the same line," he said.