Besni's castle still stands with its catapult emplacements and other ruins, and a well sits in the middle of the enclosure. Its founding date is unknown, but it was strengthened in the 13th century while the Mamluks held the area.
On the western side two large structures face each other like a monument. In local speech they are the Çifte Mancınık, the twin catapults, and tradition has it that prisoners were hanged between them in full view of the enemy as a warning.
When to go
- Climate
- Across Adıyaman as a whole, monthly mean temperatures run from 4.7 °C in January to 31.1 °C in July; the mean stays between 15 and 25 °C in April, May and October; rainfall is heaviest in January (137 mm) and lightest in July (2 mm). Long-term means for 1963-2025 from the Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM).
