Originally built by Urartians around 1000 BC, this impregnable, extensively preserved fortress rises above the bus stand in the centre of Oltu town. The entrance is from the east side but at the time of research the gate was locked pending repair work.
The castle was of some importance during the Roman and Byzantine periods, and was later occupied by the Seljuks and Genoese colonists before being taken by the Ottomans in the 16th century.