▁as ▁a ▁trade ▁route , ▁possibly ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁sil k ▁road . ▁The ▁castle ▁may ▁have ▁served ▁to ▁protect ▁this ▁trade ▁route . ▁Being ▁a ▁suitable ▁distance ▁from ▁D ura ğ an , ▁Han ön ü ▁and ▁Ta ş kö prü , ▁it ▁may ▁have ▁provided ▁safe ▁stop ▁for ▁car av ans . ▁ ▁The ▁older ▁history ▁of ▁ ▁the ▁area ▁may ▁have ▁started ▁from ▁Bron ze ▁Age , ▁and ▁it ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁ruled ▁by ▁K ask ians , ▁H itt ites , ▁Pap h lag oni ans , ▁Pers ians , ▁L yd ians , ▁Pont us ▁kingdom , ▁and ▁Rom ans . ▁ ▁The ▁area ▁has ▁since ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁captured ▁by ▁Gaz i ▁Gü m üs ht igin , ▁the ▁second ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Dan ish m ends , ▁a ▁w ass al ▁of ▁the ▁Sel ju q ▁Sultan ate ▁of ▁Rum , ▁few ▁dec ades ▁after ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Man zik ert ▁( 1 0 7 1 ) ▁been ▁under ▁the ▁rule ▁of ▁several ▁Turkish ▁states ▁( Dan ish m ends , ▁ ▁Sel ju q ▁Tur ks , ▁Per v ane o ğ ull ar ı , ▁J and ar ids ), ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ▁ ▁and ▁Turkish ▁Republic ▁and ▁has ▁been ▁sp ared ▁from ▁major ▁military ▁conflicts ▁and ▁batt les ▁on ▁its ▁territory ▁for ▁at ▁least ▁ 5 0 0 ▁years . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁and ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁Boy ab at ▁was ▁part ▁of