Rumkale

Rumkale's strategic location was already known to the Assyrians, and it is possible that it was fortified by the Romans, no remains of periods earlier than 1000 CE have been identified at the site. Rumkale has been suggested to correspond to Shitamrat, which was taken by Shalmaneser III in 855 BC, due to Rumkale's location on a cliff, which is an uncommon feature among other structures in the region. It is said that John, an apostle of Jesus, lived in Rumkale during Roman times. Rumkale became then a part of the Byzantine Empire.