Bassam Kurdi in the 10th-century

Bassam al Kurdi held his own castle in 905, according to al Tabari. The fortification was located on the border between the Abbasid and Byzantine Empires, near the Ceyhan river. Control over a stronghold includes control over a larger area, but the boundaries remain uncertain.

Al Tabari (10th-century): 

In this year, a letter from Bassam al-Kurdī reached Baghdad. He was stationed in a fortress of his between Byzantine and Muslim territory and engaged in keeping the truce between the Muslims and Byzantines. He mentioned that the Byzantine king had written to him, ordering him to rebuild the bridges over the Jayhān and improve the road for him, for he planned to march on Tarsūs. The agent in Tarsūs sent (the message) on to the central authorities.