The first construction date of the citadel is not known, but is tought to heven been constructed by the Byzantines in the first half of the 5th century A.D. The citadel is surrounded by an outer citadel on the hill it is located at. Today the outer citadel, which has a dual arragement is ruined at a large scale and only the name remains  of the doors which opened in four directions. These gates are Erzincan Gate, Terbiz Gate, Gürcü Gate, Istanbul Gate, and New Gate founded later. There are eight towers on the walls of the Inner citadel. It ıs possible to absorve the restoration traces on the citadel walls at dffrent periods. However, there are no inscriptions belonging to these periods