The Qal'at ar-Run was a powerful fortress on the river Euphrates, 50 km northeast of Gaziantep, Turkey. It is called Rumkale in Turkish, Hromgla in Armenian; The word in all cases means "Roman (ie. Byzantine) Castle".
The strategic location was already known to the Assyrians, although the present structure is largely Hellenistic and Roman in origin. The site was occupied by various Byzantine and Armenian warlords during the Middle Ages. Qal'at ar-Rum served as the seat of an Armenian patriarch from the 12th century. From 1203 to 1293 it was the residence of the supreme head (catholicos) of the reunified Armenian church. In 1293 it was captured by the Mamelukes of Egypt following a protracted siege.
The fortress is currently a ruin accessible by boat only from the neighboring town of Halfeti.
Hromgla is 25 km from Yavuzeli and 62 km from Gaziantep.
It is also said that the apostle John, hid manuscripts of the Bible in Hromgla which were later taken to Beirut.
When the crusaders were defeated and driven out of the region, the Muslims captured Hromgla and the surrounding area, and there are many remains in the castle and the area from the Turkish Islamic Period.
Hromgla has been reqlected for many years but it is a very important place for Christian people.
We think that it is our mission to make the potential of the region known by everyone throughout the world as they are the heritage of the world, It is the right of every mankind to be possessed of information about the wonders of the ancient world.
Hromgla where St. John wrote the drafts of The New Testament, The first church of Christianity - Antakya St. Pierre Church, Ur, Harran; Euphrates, Karkamış, Hittite lands, Prophet Abraham's lands are the places that certainly have to be seen.
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