Erdemli

On the road from Mersin city center to Erdemli there is no empty space. There are multi-storied modern buildings and orange and citrus groves, vegetable and banana greenhouses in between. In May when the lemon trees blossom, that enticing scent fills the air leaving no room for any other sensation.

Erdemli was upgraded to an administrative governorship in 1954. It is only 35 kilometers from the Mersin city center, the provincial capital. However, it is hard to say where Mersin ends and where Erdemli begins. You can only find it out by reading the signs. The area is so densely populated that there is hardly any vacant ground between the two cities.

The first neighborhood or settlement in Erdemli is Çesmeli and continues with Kargıpınarı, Tomuk, Arpacıbahşiş among orange and lemon gardens, greenhouses where vegetables are cultivated.

You enter Erdemli passing through a road flanked by pine trees on both sides. Local people call it, “The place where the trees kiss each other.”

From Erdemli driving westwards you pass through Kocahasanlı, Limonlu, Ayas
and Kızkalesi. The stretch between Erdemli and Kızkalesi is very rich in historical legacy.

Useful Information About Erdemli

Municipality of Erdemli, Telephone: 0. 324. 515 10 17
Municipality of Kızkalesi, Telephone: 0. 324. 515 24 84
Bus Terminal, Telephone: 0. 324. 515 18 58
Distance to Mersin: 33 Kilometers
The town is located in the center of the Mersin’s provincial borders. The modern town is teeming with vegetable and fruit gardens. In recent years it is developing as an important center of tourism. Besides its beaches, it has many important archeological sites.

In 1954 it was upgraded as an administrative governorship.
Kızkalesi, which is the symbol of Mersin is located here in Erdemli.



This density of population stretches parallel to the coastline. But when you move inland Erdemli becomes an almost narrow corridor. There are vegetable and fruit gardens and greenhouses covering the entire stretch of land in this part of the town.

In terms of fertility this is the most precious land in the province of Mersin, which in general possesses very productive agricultural fields. This area was known to be the most productive in terms of agricultural produce since old times even Antiquity. With the development of new technologies and greenhouse cultivation in recent years, the productivity has increased in a large scale.

This is the region, which plays an important role in supplying vegetables and fruits not only to the Mersin area but to the whole of Turkey. It is also a source of fruit and vegetable exports from Turkey. One of the indications that the agricultural importance of this area was known years ago is the presence of an agricultural school which was opened in 1944, at the height of World War II.

Alata Horticultural Research and Education Center

In 1944 “Alata Technical Horticulture School” was opened here. In 1967, “Regional Horticulture and Vineyard Research Institute” was added to the school. In 1972, the two educational institutions were merged under the name “Horticultural Research and Education Center.” The institution is still functioning under the same name.

The institute is conducting research on a very wide variety of plants, fruits and agricultural products covering the entire Eastern Mediterranean region of Turkey with activities in Mersin, Adana, Hatay and Osmaniye. Citrus and other subtropical fruits, grapes, vineyard cultivation, vegetable husbandry, plants used for interior and exterior decorative purposes, medicinal and aromatic herbs and plants and bee keeping are subjects that come under the scope of this institute’s activities.

A great variety of fruits are also cultivated here on the premises of the institute. It is not possible to list all the varieties but we can just mention a few of them like, oranges, lemons, tangerines, grapefruits, apricots, pomegranates, kiwis, jojobas, pecan nuts, avocados, apples and of course olives and vine shoots.

These are only fruit varieties, if we attempt to list vegetables, grains and other products the list will be endless.

(For those who might want to visit this interesting institution, we must say that it is closed to visitors.)


Ormaniçi Recreational Grounds

There is a camping area where the forest embraces the sea. It is called the Talat Göktepe Recreational Grounds. It is a place favored by a lot of people who want camp and enjoy the long sand beach. Since the forest is just behind the sandy beach, there is ample shady space for refreshing.

There are necessary arrangements for camping and the facilities open on June 1st and close down on September 15th.

Tourism Center

Erdemli is the tourism center closest to Mersin. In addition to its new and good quality accommodation facilities, sand beaches and its new marina, it also has very rich archeological sites. In fact, a lot of important archeological ruins in Mersin are located within the borders of Erdemli. Furthermore, most of these sites are easily accessible.

For example, the antique city of Kanytellis which in the local language took the form of “Kanlıdivane” is a very popular site visited by throngs of people every year. Kız Kalesi (Maiden’s Castle), on the other hand, is more popular. This building in Erdemli is a symbol of the Mersin province.

The most interesting architectural structure at the center of Erdemli is Merkez Camisi (Central Mosque). It is not a historic building. It was built in 1992. The mosque has an interesting dome structure, which is not among the traditional architectural forms of the area.

The historical building in the town that attracts attention is a tomb built during the rule of the Karamanoğulları principality. It is not known to which notable of the time the tomb was built for. It stands in the area where the Kızılalan graveyard is situated.
In addition to its architectural characteristics, the tomb also indicates that Erdemli was also in the region under the sovereignty of the Karamanoğulları.

There is another structure that belongs to the same era at the nearby Aydınlar village. It is the castle known by the name Avgadi.

Tırtar (Akkale)

Akkale is a cluster of structures located 14 kilometers west of Erdemli, built during the late Roman period. The buildings are seen on the left side of the road as you drive past them.

In addition to a 2-3 story main building, there is a cross-shaped, 2-story smaller structure to its east and a substructure in the shape of two long galleries to the cluster’s south, all of them at a position overlooking the sea. There are also the ruins of a water cistern and a public bath. On the seashore there is yet another small cistern and the remnants of a port.

Akkale was an important port for olive oil exports. There is an antique olive oil cistern with a storage capacity of 15 thousand tons that can still be seen in the area.

Although the local people call it a “castle” one must also take into consideration that the Akkale cluster could have been a palace. There are even claims that Queen Cleopatra was hosted in this palace when she came to meet with Marcus Antonius.



The Marina and Yacht Tourism

There is a newly built marina near Akkale. As one of the largest marinas in the Eastern Mediterranean this facility will help develop yacht tourism at Erdemli.

Kanlıdivane (Kanytellis, Neapolis)

The reason why the local people call this antique city Kanlıdivane (Bloody Crazy) may stem from the fact that during the Antiquity condemned people were thrown into a hollow on the ground for wild animals to devour them. These are the ruins of the antique Kanytellis-Neapolis city situated on the 15th Kilometer of the Silifke road (45 kilometers from Mersin city center) near Ayas. The ruins can be reached after driving for 3 kilometers, exiting from the main road. Under the asphalt covering this road now, is an old Roman road leading to the ruins.

This archeological site spreading around a natural hollow on the ground was discovered by Westerners in the mid 19th Century. This was the sacred site of a kingdom called Olba. Later in the history, in 408 A.D. Byzantine Emperor II. Theodosius resettled the city under the name Neapolis (New City). The city lived its most prosperous period in the 4th Century A.D. Now there is a small grocery shop and a coffee house that also serves snacks at the entrance of the ruins. But the phenomenon that attracts the attention is the huge hollow in the middle, caused by land collapsing because of some unknown reason. Around the hollow, there are basilica-shaped buildings made of hewn stones, rock graves, sarcophagi, bas-relief figures carved on the rocks, cisterns and streets. On the southwestern edge of the ruins there is a Hellenistic tower. The inscription on the western façade of the tower says that it was built by Teukros, the son of Tarkyaris, one of the priest-kings of Olba and dedicated to Zeus. At the middle of the edge where eastern and southern walls of the tower meet, there is a bas-relief of a triskelis, three-legs arranged in the form of a wheel, a figure that is also seen on the coins minted by the Kingdom of Olba.

Partly preserved basilicas are located around the hollow. Basilica number I is on the southwestern side of the hollow and its eastern façade is still standing. Its columns have Corinthian capitals. Basilicas Number II and III are located on the northwestern edge of the hollow. The arch and the entrance of the underground storage room are seen in front of the three-arched narthex. It opens to the courtyard in the west surrounded by the atrium, through three arches supported by two columns each. We understand from a row of stone brackets on top of the western wall of the basilica that there was a wooden second floor above the narthex that did not survive until the present day.

There are necropolises in three different places. On two sides of the main road in the south, grave chambers carved into the rocks are seen. The graves in the western necropolis are generally in the form of tombs carved from rocks. There are men and women’s figures in relief above the entrances of the tombs. Among these figures two men in battle uniform and a women reclining can be fully seen.

The monumental tomb that Queen Alba built for her husband and two sons at the highest point of the northern necropolis is perhaps the most interesting structure of the entire site. Entrance to the square-shaped tomb is through an arched gate. To the west of this monumental tomb there are sarcophagi.

Just next to the necropolis there are grape presses carved into the rocks and rectangular cisterns covered with barrel vaults.

There are remnants of steps descending into the hollow, indicating that people used go down there perhaps to perform some rituals.

There are also gravestones left over from the Ottoman period in addition to Roman and Byzantine tombs showing that human settlements continued to exist here for a long time.

Limonlu

Limonlu, which has become a huge vacation village today, was also an antique settlement and perhaps the source of its name is the ancient word Lamas, the name given to the antique city here.

A castle overlooking the sea on the Mersin-Silifke road and an old bridge over the Limonlu Stream are the historical structures in this area that attract attention. The bridge, which the present road bypasses, is made of hewn stones. It is known that the castle belongs to the period of Karamanoğulları. Probably, the bridge too dates back to the same period.

The Limonlu Stream has historical importance, because it delineated the border between the Mountainous Cilicia and the Cilicia on the plain.

The Oceanography Research Institute affiliated with the Middle East Technical University in Ankara is also located at Limonlu.


Picnic Areas

The attractions of a vacation around Erdemli are the sea and the interesting sites that have reached our day from Antiquity. But there are other alternatives too, for the ones who want to take their time off from these attractions and see different places.

When you leave Erdemli and drive towards north in the direction of Kargıpınarı village, you come across Sıraç İçmeleri, freshwater springs that have healing qualities. This spot is 23 kilometers from Erdemli.




Picnicking at the Kayacı Valley

The Kayacı Valley is situated 10 kilometers north of Limonlu. The Limonlu Stream that flows through the valley is 130 kilometers long. It originates on the heights of central Taurus Mountains and flows into the Mediterranean. This stream has played a vital role as a water supply to the Romans who were able to hold on to Korykos (Kızkalesi) for 450 years.

The valley draws interest not only because of its stream and abundant greenery of the surroundings but also with the steep and sharp rock formations that rise as high as 150 to 200 meters. The rock formations are awe-inspiring indeed and they can be seen by joining one of the daily tours to the valley.

Another interesting feature of a trip to valley is the opportunity to see the traditional life the villagers continue lead here.

One of the favorite places to go in the valley is called Doctor’s Place (Doktorun Yeri). It is a garden restaurant under trees next to a waterfall. To go there, you can either drive your private car or take a minibus (one of the most popular means of transportation in Turkey) in front of the Governor’s Headquarters (Hükümet Konağı) at Erdemli, sharing the fare with other passengers. However, the place gets quite crowded on summer Sundays because local families also love coming here.

Those who want to picnic can also try the Muğlu Stream on the way to Sahna, where there are garden restaurants that operate on a serve-yourself basis, providing a brazier on whom you can grill your meat. Those who prefer fish go to the trout farms either in Dedekavak or Elvanlı.



The Ruins of Çatıören and İmirzili

To visit the ruins in the area, you have to take short trips inland and then return to the coastline. This will give you the chance to take a dip in the sea each time after you visit an archeological site. When the summer heat of Mersin is taken into account, it is advisable to take our time off from sightseeing to enjoy the coolness of the sea.

There are beaches everywhere except the parts of the coastline where the mountains descend to the shore in steep cliffs.

After refreshing ourselves in the sea we must see Imirzili and Çatıören sites, only 6 kilometers from the ruins of Kalytellis.

There is a lot to be seen in these two antique cities. The general belief is that both cities have been founded under the Kingdom of Olba. But there is no further knowledge about these ruins. For the enthusiasts, the ruins may offer an opportunity for new discoveries.

The Town of Ayas and Eliaussa – Sebaste

Where the town of Ayas is located today there was the antique city of Eliaussa – Sebaste, one of the major settlements in the Mountainous Cilicia (Cilicia Tracheia) founded during the late Hellenistic Period (2nd and 1st Centuries B.C.). In the west of Eliaussa – Sebaste there was Korykos and in its north the city of Kanytellis.

The road between Erdemli and Silifke passes through the ruins of Eliaussa – Sebaste. You can see the ruins even when driving through it. The archeological excavations on this site are being carried out by Italian archeologists.

The city lived its most prosperous period during the Roman and early Christianity periods. The development and prosperity of the city was due to its natural harbor and its fertile agricultural lands. Production of olives and olive oil, the most valuable commodities at that time, was quite significant. During the Antiquity, olives and olive oil were used for many purposes besides being important foodstuffs. Soap made of olive oil was used for hygiene. Olive oil also provided lighting in lamps. That is why olives were considered sacred in a way. Even today, olives are still revered by the mankind. The city was first settled on a high promontory jutting into the sea and then it spread towards areas inland. The period of peace ushered in by Pompeius getting rid of the pirates in the region also contributed to the prosperity of the city. But the most significant years in the history of Eliaussa – Sebaste were ushered in when Emperor Augustus of Rome donated the city to Arkhelaos, the king of Cappadocia. Arkhelaos came and settled here and changed the name of the city to Sebaste, the Greek version of Roman Augustus, as sign of his gratitude to the Roman Emperor.

When Emperor Vespasianus reorganized Cilicia as a Roman province in the year 72 A.D., Eliaussa – Sebaste showed an enormous economic and urban development. During the 2nd and 3rd Centuries A.D. numerous amphitheaters, public baths and agoras were built in the city. However, after the second half of the 3rd Century A.D. Eliaussa – Sebaste began losing its luster and importance.

But this period of decline lasted for a long period. From antique sources and the findings of archeological excavations we understand that the city continued its existence from the 5th to 7th Centuries A.D throughout the late Roman and early Byzantine eras. During this period too, many Christian shrines and churches were built in the city. But it was no longer a key port and a commercial center as it was in the past.

By the end of the 7th Century A.D. Eliaussa – Sebaste was dead. We still don’t know the conditions under which the city died. It might have been a natural disaster like a devastating earthquake or the cutting of its lifeline due to its port becoming clogged with sand. Around the same time, the city of Korykos just nearby began to develop and remained as an important center in the region until the end of Late Middle Ages.

Now let us see what we can find among the ruins of this antique city.
Ada

As we have pointed out, the earliest settlement in Eliaussa was on a promontory linked to the mainland by an isthmus. This area named “Ada” in the ancient sources was controlling the city harbors. Western slope of the promontory is encircled in a wall, which seems to be built in different times. We understand this from a great variety of construction techniques such as polygonal, rectangular or small rectangular blocks used in different sections of the wall on which there are towers and ramparts. Ruins of public baths, cisterns, churches and houses built during the Roman and Byzantine periods indicate that this part of the city was inhabited for a long time. The excavation work at Ada is being conducted only in a small area on the northern shore and ruins belonging to the Hellenistic period have not been reached yet. Only a few coins and parts of city walls of that period have been uncovered. In 1995-1996, a small Byzantine basilica built in the 5th or 6th Century A.D. was found on the northern tip of the peninsula. In 1999, the excavation work at the northwestern section of the walls overlooking the port uncovered just behind the wall a public bath with a mosaic floor.

The Amphitheater

An amphitheater built in the 12th Century just next to the main road was uncovered during excavations between 1995 and 1999. Initial restoration work began in 1999. However, there is very little left of the seating rows and stone ornamentation due to continuous looting, an inevitable fate of port cities.

The seats and the steps in the audience section are carved out of rock. The biggest damage seems to have incurred by the stage. Some archeological pieces have been dug out from the front section of the stage.

Two deep wells that were in use until 4th Century A.D. can be seen within the structure of the stage.

The Agora

The agora appears to be surrounded by a thick wall made of rectangularly cut stones. The northern wall has collapsed. On both sides of the main entrance there are two ornate fountains. There is a basilica church in the agora with two apses facing each other on the two ends on the nave and aisles. A baptismal vessel and several sacred objects were also found during the excavations at the church. There were also numerous graves around the building.

As the excavation work proceeds, there are indications that the church was either built on the location of an earlier sacred building or an older structure was transformed into a church.





Big Public Bath

When you exit from the main road and enter the area, immediately on your left you will see the ruins of what is called the Big Public Bath. The excavation work at the bath is still continuing. In a photograph taken in the 1800s, this building is seen among a cluster of other buildings stretching to the side of the road.

The hot chamber and changing room right next to the road are in well-preserved condition.

The Temple

The only temple that is standing in Eloisa is located at a spot overlooking the sea on the promontory. This structure, which is built in the Corinthian style with 12 columns along its length and 6 columns along the width, sits on a flat opening.

It is not known to which god the temple is dedicated. Rather, there are differing views concerning this question. There is a small Byzantine church with a mosaic floor in the southern part of the temple.

There is another public bath complex among the lemon trees where the landscape rises higher. This seems to be the residential part of the city. The bath complex is one of the best examples of architecture built by a technique called “Opus Reticulatum,” seen rarely in Anatolia.

The Roman aqueduct that was restored during he Byzantine times was carrying water from the source of Limonlu Stream first to Elaiussa then to the city of Korykos.


The Necropolis

The most surprising part of the ruins is the necropolis that covers a very large area. Don’t leave the area after seeing the ruins on both sides of the road. Just drive up the bending road passing through the village and visit the large necropolis among the lemon groves. It is a very impressive spot and one of the best-preserved Roman necropolises in Anatolia. There are a great variety of tombs built in the form of houses or temples for families, graves carved into rocks in the form of niches or sarcophagi.

Unfortunately, some of these impressive tombs have been used as shelters for animals, storage places and even ready-made homes for local people in later years. Because they have been used for a score of different purposes, they have lost their ornamentations of statues, bas-relief figures and inscriptions. Despite such damage done through time, the necropolis still provides ample evidence of the prosperity of the people who lived here ages ago.


The Ruins of Öküzlü

This archeological site, which is 12 kilometers to the town of Ayas, has remnants of Late Hellenistic, Roman and Early Byzantine periods.

The basilica and the cisterns of the settlement can still be seen. The stone-paved road is partly well preserved. Some sarcophagi are also seen near the entrance.

The Antique City of Korykos / Kızkalesi

The antique city of Korykos, which is at a distance of 70 kilometers to Mersin and 25 kilometers to Silifke, extends from east to west on the motorway. It also sprawls up the slopes of the mountains close to the coastline. The mountain jutting into the sea forms two small coves.

The city stretching 15 kilometers towards the north is one of the most important archeological sites of the region.

During the Roman period Korykos remained as one of the most important towns of Cilicia for 500 years. It maintained its character as a key harbor during the Byzantine rule too.

The basilica churches, tow castles and remnants of the port, which we can see today, belong to the Byzantine times.

In 2005 during the survey of the site parts of a church was discovered. The excavation at this spot has not begun yet. When this new find is dug out, this rich archeological site will have another historical building to display.

When the Turks appeared on Anatolian soil they were looking for fertile lands to settle upon. This was one of the regions that the Turks had started raiding. The people of Korykos considering that the declining Byzantium Empire was incapable of protecting them against the Turks asked help from the Kingdom of Cyprus and became its protectorate in 1362. But this move did not prevent Karamanoğlu Ibrahim Bey to conquer the city in 1448. For a while after this the Karamanoğulları principality ruled the region. In 1482, the area was annexed by the Ottoman Empire.

Korykos and its Castles

The ruins of Korykos cover a large area on both sides of the motorway. The name of the city comes from saffron flowers (Crocus sativus).

The Castle of Korykos

This castle on the shore is built according to a square plan and it is surrounded by two concentric walls. There was a moat around the castle and a drawbridge leading to the entrance. These do not exist today. The Turks also used the castle like the people who lived here during the Late Hellenistic and Roman period. It has been restored and repaired many times throughout its long history. Today, the castle displays the characteristics of medieval architecture.


Kızkalesi

This castle, which has become the symbol of Mersin, is built on rocks at the sea, 200 meters from the shore. The castle, which has eight towers, is famous for a folk myth that has been told about it for centuries. Since it has become the main attraction here with its well preserved walls, impressive structure and captivating story, those who visit it by boat or just watch it from the shore neglect most of the time to visit the ruins of the great antique city of Korykos.

Korykos was probably a Greek colony. Pirates creating havoc along the shores of the Mediterranean, forcing people to leave their homes and migrate to safer places were also threatening the people of Korykos.

Cicero, the master of oratory and law arrived here as governor of Cilicia in 51 B.C. He was equally adept in military affairs as his struggle against the pirates proves.

He made the two castles, one on land the other at sea, to form a defense system. When pirates appeared to be heading towards Korykos, a thick chain was hauled from the castle at sea to the one on land closing the entrance of the harbor.

You can visit Kızkalesi taking a motorboat from the shore. Those who are brave enough can try swimming to the castle 200 meters off shore.

Rock graves are seen on the slopes on the left of the road as you drive from here towards Mersin.



The Myth of Kızkalesi

There are myths for such castles and towers built off shore in Turkey, most of the time similar to each other.

The anonymous myth of Kızkalesi goes like this:
One of the kings ruling the region had daughter. The girl grew up to be a very beautiful and good-hearted maiden. She was adored by both her father and the people.

One day a fortune-teller reads in the girl’s palm that she will die at a young age because a snake will bite her. Learning about this, her father tries to find ways to save her daughter. Since the snakes cannot swim, he orders a castle to be built out at sea for her daughter. The beautiful maiden begins living there. But one day, a snake hiding in a basket of grapes bites her and she dies.

That is why this castle is still called the Maiden’s Castle.



Kızkalesi or the Maiden’s Castle is one of the main tourism centers of the region. The nature here too exuberantly embellishes what is left from history. The long beach with its fine sands, crystal clear waters of the sea and its pleasantly warm climate that allows swimming until October attracts more tourists every day.

There are hotels providing good quality service in the region and new investments in tourism facilities are continuing without break.

There are scuba diving centers for the fans of underwater sports. These centers both train people in scuba diving and organize tours for divers.

It is also possible to join boat tours that will take you to the beautiful coves along the coastline. These boats even organize nighttime tours during the nights with full moon.

If you don’t want the company of strangers, you can hire a boat privately with your friends and relatives. If you choose, you can spend several nights on board too.


Adam Kayalar and Şeytan Deresi

(Human Rocks and Devil’s Stream)

When you enter the road leading to Uzuncaburç, from Kızkalesi and drive for 6 kilometers you will a sign saying “Adam Kayalar” on your left. If you have already seen the village of Huseyinli, that means you have missed the turn that would have taken you to this interesting place worth seeing. The 2-kilometer strip after you leave the main road is rough. It is full of stones and holes. A car can make it but if you are fussy about your using your car on such roads, it is advisable that you park it and walk the rest of the way.

Adam Kayalar literally means Human Rocks. The name comes from the human figures on a huge rock that looks like a wall. The narrow path that descends down to the valley where the rock is situated is marked with arrows painted on stones. Otherwise, it is hard to find this narrow path.

Local people call this canyon Devil’s Stream. It is very deep and the stream flows at the bottom of the canyon. Rocks rising almost at right angles in some places are scary.

When you come to the edge of the canyon you follow the arrows walking down the pathway. But one has to be extremely careful while going down. Although the distance is not long, it is a tough walk. Especially, one should avoid doing this expedition during Mersin’s heat at noontime. Also you should not forget that you have to climb back the same path that is like a steep staircase. Small children and senior citizens are advised not to attempt it.

The descent ends at a flat space on top of a rock on the edge of a precipice. In front of us there is a huge rock rising like a wall. And the human figures carved on this rock make us forget our exhaustion. In this canyon, 10 kilometers from the Kızkalesi, we see the amazing composition of human figures. In ten separate compositions there are 17 human figures, 11 men, 4 women and two children. There is also the figure of a mountain goat. These figures have been carved during the 2nd Century A.D. sources say. But there is no further information.


The Church of Cambazlı

Another impressive site with its church and rock graves is the Cambazlı ruins, which is near the village of Huseyinli when you are traveling from Erdemli.

On the Silifke – Uzuncaburç, road, when you turn right at the village of Keşlitürkmenli the road will take you to the ruins. After visiting Uzuncaburç, if you take the Ura – Yeğenli road you still find yourself at the Cambazlı ruins.

When you pass through the village and turn left. You will see the rock graves at the rocky area facing you. Rock graves and monumental tombs are also found in the village. But the most striking building the church that will catch your eye immediately after you pass through the village. It is impressive even at first look. All its walls are intact. It stands there in its historic grandeur. When you enter it, you will be even more impressed.

The northern façade of the building is completely closed. All the columns on the left are standing with their Corinthian capitals and even the columns in the upper gallery just above the lower row are also preserved. The church, which belongs to the Byzantine period, measures 20 meters in length and 12.5 meters in width. The apse is also standing intact.

Around the village fountain near the church, there are quite number of tombs that are in good condition.

The village itself is also very beautiful.

Tarsus

Tarsus is a town in the Mersin province on the border with the neighboring province of Adana. It has always been a colorful place both in its long and rich history and in our present day.

The fact that Tarsus is a smaller administrative unit under the province capital Mersin is due to its location squeezed between two major provinces of Adana and Mersin. It has a population much greater than many province capitals in Turkey. Currently, its inhabitants number more than 220,000.

Back in history, Tarsus was a port city founded on a fertile plain irrigated by the Berdan Stream, which was called Kydnos in the Antiquity. During those times the stream ran through the city and flowed into a lagoon named Rhegma, which is a marshland today called Aynaz.

Today the Mediterranean coast is 10 kilometers away from Tarsus. But in the Antiquity, the canals in the lagoon provided the city’s link to the sea.

It is said that Egyptian Queen Cleopatra passed through this lagoon on board her ship to meet with Roman Commander Marcus Antonius in Tarsus. The best historical presentation of this shallow lagoon is seen on the map of Ottoman admiral Piri Reis.

Alluvial silt brought down throughout centuries by the Tarsus stream filled up this area where only small fishing boats could be moored in our day.


Tarsus
Useful Information

Tarsus is the biggest town in the Mersin province. It is located between Mersin and Adana.

Air travel: Tarsus is 42 kilometers from Adana’s Airport.
Travel by train: Yenice Train Station is 13 kilometers from city center. Yenice Train Station Telephone: 0. 324. 453 69 14; Mersin Telephone: 0. 324. 231 12 67
Intercity buses available to all parts of Turkey. Bus Terminal Telephone: 0.324. 624 69 32
Municipality Telephone: 0. 324. 613 36 88

Tarsus Museum at the Cultural Center Telephone: 0. 324. 613 06 25
Open between 08.30 and 12.00 / 13.00 and 17.00 except Mondays. The Museum is located in the Cultural Center Complex and exhibits 35,000 objects.

Tarsus Known With the Same Name for 2000 years

Many cities in Turkey that existed for 2000 years have been referred to by different names during different periods of history. But the name of Tarsus came down to our present day without undergoing any change.

If we are allowed to talk about the longevity of cities, it closely depends on the geography in which they are located. Because, fertile lands, water sources and trade routes are the most important factors that enable the cities live for long periods of time. Tarsus is one of them. For the last 7000 years, it lives on the same location using the advantages that its geography offers. Tarsus was the most convenient port of the Çukurova area that was called Cilicia on the Plain in the Antiquity. It kept its importance until Roman Commander Pompeius developed Pompeipolis, now within the borders of Mersin, as a port city in 63 B.C.

Furthermore, the most secure road connecting the Mediterranean and Çukurova to Central Anatolia and from there to the west and Istanbul passed through Tarsus. It was the only city controlling the Gülek Pass on the Taurus Mountains, which the peoples of Antiquity called “the gate to Cilicia.”


Etymology of Tarsus

The name of the city goes back to the times it was founded. There are differing views on where the name Tarsus came from. According to one of these views, the name Tarsus comes from Tarkhu, one of the gods of Luwi, an ancient people who lived in this area. According to another view, Tarsus comes from the ancient Greek word “tarsos” which means “footprint” or “the sole.” According to mythology, the city was founded on soil where Pegasus or Bellaphoron had set their foot on. However, Homeros refers toTarsus Plain by its ancient name, “the plain of Aleion” in his Iliad.

In written sources, Hittites are referring to the area as “Tarsa.” In Assyrian inscriptions the name takes the form of “Tarzi,” “Tarzu” or “Tarsis.” Xenophon writes it as “Torsos” in his Anabasis. During the periods Ummawiys and Abbasids, Arab sources called the place as “Tarasus.” In the Ottoman documents the city is called “Tersus.”

As a result we can safely say that the root of the word comes from Hittite-Luwi language and it is Tarkhu or Tarsa.

The Tumulus of Gözlükule

The tumulus on the southern edge of the city today is a witness to all the phases of history of Tarsus since its foundation. The archeological work that started at the tumulus in 1935 showed that Tarsus has been settled by human beings since the Neolithic Age. Findings at this excavation site go back to 7000 years. The city grew in later years in the direction of the plain that stretched in front of it.

According to Greek writers, the Assyrian King Sanneherib (or Sardanapal as the Greeks write his name) set up both Tarsus and Ankhiale (probably on the location of today’s Mersin) in a single day.

First Sight of Tarsus and “Nusrat” the Minelayer

The first sight that you will come across as you enter Tarsus from the Mersin-Adana motorway is a small ship sitting on ground in a pond. This small ship has a big historical significance. The ship is called “Nusrat.” It is originally a navy minelayer!

Its historical importance comes from the Battle of Dardanelles. During World War I when the Allied naval expedition force led by Britain attempted to pass through the Turkish straits and occupy Istanbul before sailing into the Black Sea, Turks under the command of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who later became the founder of the Turkish Republic, showed very tough and bloody resistance. The powerful Allied armada was not able to enter the Dardanelles. This small ship, built in German shipyards in 1911 played a crucial role during that battle. It sneaked in between the Allied battleships under the cover of night and laid mines that destroyed giant warships of the Western powers.

In time “Nusrat” got old and it was “retired” from navy service in 1955. For few years more it worked as a freighter. Then it was scrapped. While it was waiting its fate in half-sunken state at the Mersin port, people of Tarsus placed a claim for this historical vessel to make it a landmark of their town. They transported it on big trucks, they renovated it and placed it at the entrance of Tarsus. They arranged the surroundings and made it a memorial park dedicated to those soldiers fallen in the Battle of Dardanelles.

Later on, citizens of Çanakkale where the battle took place insisted that “Nusrat” belonged to their part of the country. But the people of Tarsus did not give it back. Rightly so, because it was them who made “Nusrat” into a national monument at a time when the ship was about to be lost in oblivion.

The Gate of Cleopatra

The gate of the antique city is located on the wide boulevard at the entrance of Tarsus when you arrive from the direction of Mersin. The gate is named after the famous Egyptian Queen Cleopatra. Roman Emperor Julius Caesar was one of the notables of the time to visit Tarsus. But he was killed at a much-reenacted assassination in Rome in 44 B.C. Following his demise, a triumvirate took over. One of the three rulers was Marcus Antonius who arrived in Anatolia in 41 B.C. His purpose was to secure the control of Eastern Mediterranean and Anatolia before he launched his expedition on the Parthians. He met with Cleopatra in Tarsus to make a pact with Egypt. He gave a great slice of land from mountainous Cilicia to the Egyptian queen with whom he was to marry later. Historical sources are in disagreement as to the exact definition of land given to Cleopatra. Strabon writes that Marcus Antonius gave Cleopatra slopes of mountains full of cedar trees suitable for building ships. During this time Marcus Antonius reorganized the political administration of the entire are and granted Tarsus “civitas libera” status which exempted its inhabitants from paying taxes.

Because it is widely believed that the gate, which still stands almost intact, is the spot where Marcus Antonius welcomed Queen Cleopatra, it is called even today after the name of the Egypt’s famous queen. The gates on city walls built during the Byzantine Period are called Mountain Gate, Adana Gate and Sea Gate. Ottoman traveler Evliya Chelebi refers to the Cleopatra Gate as the Quay Gate. It seems that the Cleopatra gate was also called the Sea Gate.

The meeting of Cleopatra with Marcus Antonius was a much-celebrated historic event written about by many historians and inspired many literary personalities. For a long time coming together of these two historic personalities provided the subject matter of many works of art. Greek historian and essayist Plutarchos, who lived about a century after the famous meeting, likens Cleopatra to Goddess of Love Aphrodite and Marcus Antonius to Dyonisus, the God of Wine. According to him the meeting represented the coming together of two deities for the good of the world.

Octavianus Augustus who became the sole ruler of Rome in 31 B.C. did not alter the privileged status of Tarsus either. Probably, his teacher Stoicist Athenodoros who was from Tarsus, played a decisive role in keeping the privileges of his birthplace.

The inscription on the gate was originally on the walls of Yeni Hamam, a public bath. It was placed on the gate in 1982. It is in fact, not an original piece belonging to the gate. It is the pedestal of a statue.

The inscription comes from a period between 222 A.D. and 235 A.D. It refers to Tarsus as “the leader of Cilicia, Isaura and Lycaonia, the greatest, the most beautiful and the foremost capital.”

Because of the inscription, the pedestal is called, “The Honorary Epitaph.”


Tarsusi Coffee
Not only in Tarsus but in the entire province of Mersin, Turkish coffee served in tea glasses is called “Tarsusi Coffee.” Fans of Tarsusi coffee prefer it probably because traditional Turkish coffee cups are too small for them and tea glasses take a lot more than the cups. Offering Tarsusi coffee to guests is also considered an integral part of local hospitality.

Roman Temple of Donuktaş (or Dönüktaş)

The rectangular structure at the Tekke neighborhood is one of the oldest monuments in Tarsus. The length of its exterior walls is 115 meters and the width of the building is 43 meters. It is 7 meters high and the walls have a thickness of 6.6 meters. It has the characteristics of a Roman temple.

However, travelers who wrote about this building in the past centuries gave contradicting information. Some of them say that it is a palace and some claim that it is a monument on a royal grave. Yet some others describe the structure as a temple dedicated to Jupiter.
A Piece of Folk Humor

Prof. Nezahat Baydur who is directing the excavation work thinks that the structure is a temple.

However, there is also a popular story that is told about this building. According to the story, Donates was the palace of a ruler originally standing on the nearby hill Gözlükule. The ruler used to live here with his daughter and run the country. But some of his practices did not please a prophet living in Tarsus. The prophet got angry with the ruler and gave a mighty kick to his palace. The palace tumbled down the hill and stopped upside down where it is today. That is why it is called “Dönüktaş,” which means “overturned rock” in the Turkish language.

A piece of folk humor to lighten serious scientific explanations that are in disagreement anyway!


The Roman Public Bath

The ruins of the public bath that was built during the Roman period is located at the historical center of Tarsus, about 50 meters from the Eski Cami (Old Mosque). The structure is dated to 2nd Century B.C. In the building thick Roman concrete, unhewn rocks and bricks were used as construction materials. Northern and western sections of the building are completely destroyed and on the southern wall a 3.5-meter wide and 4-meter high opening was carved out for the passage of a road.

Bridge of Baç

The Justinianus Bridge at the eastern part of the modern section of Tarsus is also known by this name in Turkish. “Baç” means tax or toll in Turkish. It seems that at that time some bridges required the payment of a toll to pass, as it is in our time. The Turkish name of the Justinianus Bridge indicates that it was a toll bridge even in early history. As a matter of fact, the practice of levying some sort of customs tax on goods and animals brought into a city was a method used for a long period in history. Under the Ottomans, this tax was called “baç.” The bridge, which is located at the entrance of Tarsus in the direction of Adana-Ankara motorway, was built in 6th Century B.C. by the Byzantine Emperor Justinianus. It has been restored several times. Last restoration work was completed in 1978. The bridge is still in use.

The Split-nose Hunting Dogs of Tarsus

This species of hunting dogs are found only in Tarsus and surroundings and they are very much sought after by the hunters. Their name comes from the “split” between their nostrils. They are an original species. These dogs are very successful in hunting because they are both very clever and docile. They can follow the scent of the game both through the air and along the ground. Males are mostly brown and white and the females are sometimes plain brown in color. They are not aggressive at all and that is why they get along with children very well.

In fact, split-nose is a defect in hunting dogs according to some experts. But this defect became a natural quality of this species in Tarsus. For example, split-nose is also a feature of Spanish hunting dog species called Navarro Pointer, but this is considered completely natural. There has been no sufficient research on the species found exclusively in Tarsus, but it seems that taking measures for its protection is necessary so that the split-nose Tarsus dogs are not threatened by extinction.


The Roman Road and the Triumphal Arch

These monuments worth seeing are within the borders of the Sağlıklı village some 13 kilometers north of Tarsus. The 3-kilometer part of the 3-meter wide Roman road built with rectangular stones is well preserved.

This road, which connects Tarsus and Çukurova to the Gülek Pass on the Taurus Mountains, was probably built in the 4th Century B.C. At a high point where the entire Tarsus plain can be seen as far as the sea, there is a monumental portal, which was built probably as a Triumphal Arch.

The Tarsus College

The school built as a large complex north of the Gözlükule tumulus opened to education in 1888 as an American missionary institution. Its name then was Institute of St. Paul. The present building was constructed in 1910. On the ground floor there used to be a chapel, which is now converted into a sports hall.

To the east of the college there is a mansion called Sadık Paşa Konağı and it is now used as a guesthouse. Misak-i Milli Primary School in the college complex was built in 1873 also as a mansion. This building still functions as a primary school.



Antique Amphitheater

The amphitheater is located next to the college complex in the garden of the primary school. The Berdan Stream offered a natural setting for the theater during the Antiquity. Today only parts of the cavea, that is the seats reserved for notables, and some architectural elements can be seen.


The Church of St. Paul

The church which is located in the south of the city, about 200 meters south of Ulu Mosque is thought to be built in 11th or 12th Century B.C. and dedicated to St. Paul. In recent years, the building underwent restoration work. In the interior, the nave is separated from the aisles by rows of four columns each and covered with vaults. At the center of the ceiling there are frescos depicting Jesus Christ, St. John, St. Matthews, St. Mark and St.Luke, the four Holy Apostles who wrote the four accepted versions of the Holy Bible. The church also has a belfry.

There are figures depicting angels and a landscape next to the window opening to the nave. There is also a wooden mezzanine above the entrance to the building supported by two columns.

Today, the church is serving as a museum. But pious Christians come here frequently for pilgrimage.

The Well of St. Paul

The remnants of a house uncovered at a courtyard in a neighborhood of old Tarsus houses about 250 meters north of the Republic Square (Cumhuriyet Meydani) is believed to belong To St. Paul. There is a well in the courtyard, which is called St. Paul’s Well. During an excavation parts of house walls were discovered in the courtyard believed to belong to St. Paul’s house. The remnants of the house could be seen through a glass covering the excavated walls.

The mouth of the well is cylindrical and has a diameter of 1.15 meters. The well itself is rectangular and made out of rectangularly hewn rocks. It is 38 meters deep and has water the year round.

Christians passing through here on their way to pilgrimage in Jerusalem drink the water of this well, which they consider holy.


St. Paul (Paulus)
St. Paul (born Saul) was born during the time of Jesus Christ in Tarsus to a well to do Jewish family. His father was a Roman citizen and a maker of tents. He was sent to Jerusalem as a young by for education. As a young man he was a militant anti-Christian Pharisee. He even took part in the stoning of St. Stephen who was the first Christian martyr.
But during a trip to Damascus he met with Jesus Christ and adopted Christian teachings. After his baptism he took Paul as his name. He dedicated himself to spreading Christianity and traveled far and wide. His long travels during the 1st Century A.D. were the first and the most effective missionary work in the name of Christianity.

These journeys described in the Holy Bible took St. Paul to the lands around the Mediterranean, Aegean and the Greek islands. St. Paul by giving his powerful sermons, founded the first Christian communities in all these lands.

First Missionary Journey
St. Paul’s first missionary journey started at Antiocheia, (today’s Antakya). St. Barnabas accompanied him on this journey at sea. They arrived at Attalia (today’s Antalya) sailing through Cyprus. From Attalia they went to Pisidia Antiocheia (today’s Isparta, Yalvaç) via Perge. St. Paul gave his first sermon at a synagogue in Pisidia Antiocheia in the year 46 A.D. On the location of this synagogue, a church consecrated to St. Paul was built in later years. St. Paul and St. Barnabas traveled to Iconium (today’s Konya), Listra and Derbe (Karaman area near Konya) and then returned to Perge to take a ship from the port of Attalia that took them back to Antiocheia of Cilicia. After this first missionary journey, the doctrine of Christianity began spreading throughout Anatolia within a very short period of time. The fact that hundreds of churches were built only in Derbe is indicative of the vigor Christianity took roots in these lands. The area around Derbe is still called by the name “Binbir Kilise“ meaning “A thousand and one churches” in Turkish.

The second and third missionary journeys take St. Paul again from Antioceia of Cilicia to Anatolia and then as far as Macedonia. During this period that covered years 48 to 56 A.D. St. Paul stayed in Ephesus twice; in the year 51 and then in 54 He probably wrote his Epistles here in Ephesus. However, the Ephesians considered this new faith to be dangerous and they did not allow St. Paul to stay in their city. Christian missionaries were beginning to disturb the Roman rulers too.

St. Paul was arrested in Jerusalem and taken to Rome. During this last journey St. Paul passes through Caesarea (today’s Kayseri), Sidon (Side), Myra (Demre), Knidos (Datca), Crete and Malta. In Rome St. Paul’s mission that began in the year 46 and went on for years braving so many dangers and difficulties was going to end at a trial that condemned him to death in the year 65 A.D. It was St. Paul who set up the first Christian communities and churches in Asia Minor and Eastern Mediterranean. That is why his house in Tarsus and the well in its courtyard are always visited by pious Christians. The Vatican also considers this place as one the holy shrine worthy of pilgrimage.

Antique Road

During a municipal construction work at Republic Square (Cumhuriyet Meydani), workers dug out an antique road. It is believed that the road belongs to the Roman period and constructed in 1st Century B.C. The 7-meter wide road is built in a cambered fashion not to allow water puddles to form on it. It is paved with basalt stones brought here from elsewhere.
Wheel marks on the stones indicate that the road was an urban main street. The gutters on both sides of the street drain rainwaters to the sewage system still existing under the road. A part of this sewage system has been uncovered during excavation work in Tarsus.
In the northeastern direction there is a three-step podium 95 centimeters in height. There are column bases on it.
To the southeast of the antique road excavations uncovered one room of a structure named “Mosaic House.” In its garden there are remnants of a pool covered with colored marble slabs. Rest of the courtyard is also covered with mosaics. All these indicate that the house belonged to a quite rich member of the antique community.

Houses of Tarsus

Among the rich heritage that history bequeathed to Tarsus, maybe the most impressive ones are the Tarsus houses that represent the most original examples of civil architecture. Some of these houses, most of them located at the neighborhoods of Şehitkerim, Sofular and Kızılmurat, have been restored and well kept. Cafes have opened in recent years on the ground floors of these historical houses catering for the inhabitants and tourists visiting Tarsus.

After living among the huge, concrete buildings of big cities, these houses arouse a warm sensation in one’s heart.

The traditional buildings in Tarsus have all been constructed by local building masters with materials available locally. Because the abundance of limestone in the region and wood coming from the forests on the Taurus Mountains, local architecture is based on stone and timber. The beams on the stone walls and under the roof, supports propping up the wide porches, boarding of the floors, built-in cupboards, doors, windows and their shutters, lattices are all made of wood.

Although the woodwork seen in the supporting elements of the buildings is somewhat coarse, you can see a very fine artisanship when it comes to doors, cupboards, window casings, shelves and brackets. In most of houses, there are stone pillars in the ground floor supporting the upper story. These pillars are placed either in the storage rooms or the section opening into the courtyard. In some houses, vaulted supports sitting on columns brought in from the ruins serve this purpose.

All these details, including the ornate doors and brackets as architectural elements indicate that there was a quite developed stone masonry in Tarsus. The streets are narrow in this old section of the town, probably to ease the effects of hot air. But these narrow streets frequently open up to squares providing ample breathing space for the city.

Most of the old houses belong to 19th Century, although there are some built in the beginning of the 20th Century. In the 19th Century increasing agricultural production and trade based on it made Tarsus an affluent city. This richness is reflected in the houses of Tarsus. Authorities have designated the areas where these houses are found as architectural preservation areas.

Islamic Works

Tarsus was equally important for the Muslims as it was for Christians. The town was developed by the building of important mosques, public baths and tombs during the Arab rule and later under the Ottomans.

Examples of the legacy left by the Romans and Byzantines and later built under the Ottomans are seen side-by-side in this city together with the samples of civil architecture such as Turkish and Greek family houses.

Ulu Mosque (Cami –i Nur)

This mosque in the southern part of the town was built in 1579 when Tarsus was a principality ruled by the Ramazanoğlu family. The building of the mosque is attributed to a certain Ibrahim Bey, the son of Piri Pasha.

The mosque is also known by the name “Heavenly Light” and the neighborhood where it is located carries this name. The mosque is built on the ruins of St. Pierre Church in the traditional Seljukite style with a single-balcony minaret.

The building is constructed solely with hewn stone blocks according to a rectangular plan measuring 47 meters by 13 meters. The entrance to the mosque is through a 10-meter high and 7.20-meter wide portico supported by 14 marble columns and running along the eastern, northern and western sections. There are three naves running parallel to the altar in the interior. Adjoining the northern façade there is a courtyard twice as large as the interior, with porticos on the sides. In the middle of the courtyard there is a fountain. On the northeastern and northwestern corners of the portico there are two minarets. The one on the northwestern corner stands apart from the building and an inscription on it says that it was built in 1363. It seems that this minaret used to belong to another mosque. The second minaret was converted into a clock tower in late 19th Century.

The interior columns of the mosque are bound together by arches with sharp tips that are called “Iranian arches.” The altar, the pulpit and the prayer section for the Moslem clergy are made of marble. At the eastern section of the mosque, there is the tomb of Abbasid Caliph Ma’mun who died near Tarsus in the year 833.

The Clock Tower

The minaret on the northeastern corner of the Ulu Mosque’s courtyard was damaged by lightning and in 1895, the governor of the town, Ziya Bey, ordered it to be rebuilt as a clock tower.

“Karsambaç”

What the local people call “karsambach” is an interesting refreshment that one should not miss. It also has a long tradition in the area. In the old days before the advent of refrigerators, there were “snow vendors” in Tarsus. These people would climb up to the northern heights of the Taurus Mountains with their mules and collect snow, press into blocks and bring it down to sell to in the neighborhoods.

Today there are no snow vendors going around with their mules. But the tradition lives on. Powdered ice is put into a bowl and mixed with sherbet made of different fruits and sold as refreshment. It is still known as “karsambach” in Tarsus.

The Market of Forty Spoons (White Market)

There is an old marketplace right next to the Ulu Mosque. It was built at the same time with the mosque and used as a madrasa (religious seminary) and a hostel. It gets its name from spoon figures on its four facades.

The rectangular building is constructed with hewn stone blocks and covered by five small domes. In 1960-1961, the building was renovated and rearranged as a covered bazaar. In later years the building was transformed into an ethnography museum. There are three barrel vaulted entrances to the building from the eastern, western and northwestern facades.

Makam-ı Şerif Mosque and Prophet Daniel’s Tomb

It is believed that Prophet Daniel is buried inside this mosque. That is why the mosque is called Madam-ı Şerif, roughly translated into English it means “Sublime Place.”

The mosque is located just northwest of Kubat Pasha Madrasa. Although the mosque was built in 1857, annexes were added to it in later years. Today, the old section is entered through three separate doors and then by walking down three steps you find yourself at the main chamber. The structure is covered by a low dome and its altar is very simple. In the eastern part, there is a tomb that is believed to belong to Prophet Daniel who was one of the major prophets of the Old Testament. But the Moslems also believe in all the prophets listed in the holy books of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.


It is rumored that…

The king of Babylon has a dream that a son born to the House of Israel would grow up and threaten his throne. So, he orders or the newborn Jewish boys to be killed. When the Prophet Daniel is born, his family abandons him at a cave on top a mountain to save him from slaughter. A lion and a lioness feed and bring up Daniel. Daniel returns to his people after adolescence.

Prophet Daniel lived during the reign of Babylonian King Nebuchadrezzar II (605-562 B.C.) and saved the Jews from Babylonian yoke.

The Prophet’s Visit to Tarsus

Prophet Daniel was invited to Tarsus during a year of famine. With his arrival the famine passes and the town prospers. The people of Tarsus pleaded with Daniel not to return to Babylon and stay in Tarsus. When Daniel died, they buried him in a grave where the Makam Mosque stands today.

When the Arabs conquered Tarsus, they opened the grave of Daniel and found a very tall body in a sarcophagus shrouded in a fabric woven with golden threads.

The ring on the body’s finger had the figure of a baby between a lion and a lioness. The figure depicted the lioness lovingly licking the baby. Caliph Omar fearing that the Jews might steal the body, ordered a very deep grave to be dug and the waters of the Tarsus stream to be diverted so as to flow over the grave. In this way Prophet Daniel’s grave was hidden.

During the last restoration of the mosque, an iron grating was found deep in the ground in the flowing direction of the water. Prophet Daniel’s grave is thought to be buried even deeper in the ground.

Yeni Hamam & Inscription of Honor

“Yeni Hamam” means new public bath in Turkish. But this name should not mislead you. In a city that sits on a 7000-year-old heritage, a building that is only few hundred years old can pass as new.

The public bath is next to the Ulu Mosque. An inscription on it mentions the date 1785, but it is thought that this date refers to a restoration. The actual building of the public bath must have been during the rule of the Ramazanoğlu principality.

The public bath has the four traditional sections of all Turkish baths: Changing room, warm room, hot room and the boiler room.

The inscription that was on the wall of the bath was taken out in 1982 and installed near the Cleopatra Gate where it still stands. (See: The Cleopatra gate section.)

The Old Public Bath (Eski Hamam or Şahmeran Hamamı)

It is claimed that this public bath was built on the ruins of a Roman bath at the Kızılmurat neighborhood of Tarsus during the rule of Ramazanoğullları principality. According to an inscription next to the entrance it is understood that the public bath was restored in 1873. It belongs to the Foundation of Mahmut Pasha.

The original plan of the bath had four iwans or verandas opening to the courtyard. However, during later changes, the bath lost its original shape. The walls of the bath are made with unhewn stones and it generally reflects the characteristics of a Turkish bath. It has the traditional sections of changing rooms, cool room and hot room. A dome covers the central chamber of the bath, which is the hottest part above the boiler section. There are ten wooden rooms at the entrance hall and a pool in the center, around which a concrete parapet was built in later years.

It is also called Şahmeran Bath drawing its name from a very famous folk tale that is told for centuries in this part of the world.

The Tale of Şahmeran

According to this folk myth, Şahmeran is a half-human, half-snake ruler. He lives in an underground cave in the bowels of the earth and rules over the snakes. But Şahmeran and his subjects are not sinister as the symbolism in the myth might suggest. They represent solidarity, help, good humor and sacrifice for the sake of others. The people of Tarsus have owned this myth so much that they erected a statue of Şahmeran in their town. However, the myth has been also told for centuries beyond the borders of Turkey from India, Egypt to Greece.

As the myth puts it, humans kill Şahmeran to extract his healing water and the snakes are still unaware of this. If they learn about the death of their ruler in the hands of human beings they will all emerge on earth and create havoc in their vengeance. And again according to the myth, all these snakes are living underground in Tarsus. This explains why there are so many snake figures on the carpets, walls, embroideries, ceramic objects, in woodwork and on mirrors and glasses in Tarsus.

As the tale goes, a man one day enters a cave full of thousands of snakes that seize him and take him to their ruler, Şahmeran. Şahmeran tells the man that he would grant him clemency, but that the man would have to be the guest of the snakes for eternity. They cannot let him go because the man has learned their place. If the humans find the cave, they would kill the ruler of the snakes, Şahmeran tells the man.

The guest of the snakes lives a comfortable life in the cave. He is well looked after. He passes his days chatting with Şahmeran. But one day, he gets bored and asks leave from Şahmeran. The ruler of the snakes grant the visitor his request and lets him return to the earth, because during their long chats, an atmosphere of trust has been built between the two. Şahmeran says that he believes that the visitor won’t tell anybody the place of his kingdom. However, the man should not let anybody see his skin because it will turn scaly like a snake’s.

The visitor returns to his normal life and keeps his lips sealed about his adventure in the cave.

As it happens in most of the folk tales, the ruler of the land has a sick daughter. He has mobilized the country to find a cure for her. Meanwhile, his vizier or chief minister is a bad guy. He is secretly making plans to marry the ruler’s daughter and become king. The vizier gathers all the magicians of the land demanding from them to find a cure for the girl’s disease. One of the magicians says that Şahmeran holds the cure of this disease. The king of the snakes should be found, killed and boiled. The daughter of the king will be cured when she drinks the water in which the king of snakes is boiled. And in order to find Şahmeran, they should look for a man with a scaly skin like that of a snake’s. The vizier takes everybody in the country to the bath and finds the guest of Şahmeran in this way. The man promises to kill Şahmeran and goes back to the cave of snakes. He tells Şahmeran what happened on the surface of the earth and asks his advice.


Şahmeran says that he already knew that his death would come from his guest. The ruler of the snakes then tells his guest to kill him but keep this secret. If the snakes learn about it, they would come out of the earth and seek their ruler’s vengeance. Then Şahmeran tells the man to boil his tail and make the vizier drink its water that would kill him in no time. “Boil my body and make the ruler’s daughter drink it, this will cure her, and boil my head and drink its water yourself that will turn you into Doctor Lokman.” With this, the two leave the cave. The man cuts Şahmeran in front of the bath and carries out the advice of the ruler of snakes. The vizier dies, the girl is healed and he becomes Doctor Lokman. Now this Doctor Lokman is the Anatolian version of Hippocratus, a physician who cures all sorts of diseases.

Doctor Lokman

Doctor Lokman is also a famous figure in Anatolian folk mythology. He is a wise man who knows all the remedies except for the remedy for death. It is told that the secrets of curing illnesses were given to Lokman by Şahmeran.

It seems that the snakes in and around Tarsus are still unaware of what happened to their ruler. They have not attacked the human beings to avenge the killing of Şahmeran.

Of course, the tale of Şahmeran has many versions. The elderly in Tarsus will give you different versions of the tale. What we have written here is the most widespread version.




The Old Mosque or the Church Mosque (Eski Cami, Kilise Camisi)

The mosque at Çarşıbaşı was originally a church that was built in 1102 as the Cathedral of St. Paul. It is a Roman style building with thick and high walls, wide interior, deep windows narrowing towards the exterior and heavy columns. The church was converted into a mosque in 1415 during the reign of Ramazanoğlu Ahmet Bey.

Some sources also mention a church by the name of Aghia Sophia in the early Middle Ages and there are records that the Archbishop of Mainz Konrad Wittelsbach came here as a Papal envoy to enthrone and bless Leon I as the King of Armenians on 6 January 1198.
P. Lucas who visited Tarsus in 1704 mentions a Greek and an Armenian church saying that the Armenian Church was built by St. Paul himself. V. Langlois who also came to Tarsus in 1851 says that he visited this particular church.

After the building was converted to a mosque, the altar was placed where the south entrance was. Along the interior of the northern façade a narthex and two rooms on both sides of the apse have been added to the building. There is a minaret on the southwest corner of the mosque.

Tarsus Museum (Madrasa of Kubat Pasha)

The building was built in 1557 by Kubat Pasha of the Ramazanogullari principality as an open courtyard madrasa or religious school. In 1966 the building underwent restoration. It now serves as the Tarsus Museum. There are a total of 33,734 objects on display in the museum. 5,234 of the objects come from archeological excavations, 1,639 items are ethnological displays and there are a total of 26,841 old coins. The objects on display belong to Paleolithic, Calcolithic, Early Bronze Ages and Hittite, Urartu, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman civilizations.


The Grotto of Seven Sleepers (Eshab-ı Kehf Mağarası)

The cave is 330 square meters large and 10 meters high. There are three tunnels in the cave. It is known as the Grotto of Seven Sleepers, although there are many similar caves in many other places known by the same name, the most famous of them being near Ephesus, Turkey.

Next to the entrance of the cave, the Ottoman Sultan Abdulaziz ordered a small mosque to be built in 1873. This is an interesting mosque with two minarets, one of them tall the other short! The cave is located on high ground near the village of Ulas, 14 kilometers northwest of Tarsus. Since it is located on high ground, the spot has a panoramic view of the surrounding landscape. The cave is considered “sacred” by both Christians and Muslims. Those who come to visit the cave, park their cars below the hill and climb up passing in front of several memorabilia shops selling postcards, posters, rosaries, religious books and pamphlets. After walking past the small mosque with two minarets in strikingly discrepant height, you come to the entrance of the cave. Walking down 10 or 15 steps you enter the cave. There are usually people praying or lying down in the cavities imitating the seven Christian youths who slept for centuries escaping persecution.
The Story of Seven Sleepers

In Turkish or rather in old Ottoman the cave is known by the name Ashab-i Kehf, which roughly translated means seven friends in a cave. However, the story may have originated in Ephesus, where there is also another and more widely known Grotto of Seven Sleepers. The seven Christian youths of Ephesus. According to legend they fled during the Diocletian persecution (250 CE) to a cave in Mount Celion. The cave was walled up by their pursuers and they fell asleep. Some 200 years later, during the reign of Theodosius II, they awoke. One of them went into the city for provisions and upon his return, they fell asleep again; this time until the resurrection. Their names are given as Constantius, Dionysius, Johannes, Maximianus, Malchus, Martinianus and Serapion.

People own readily the events and personalities they value. This is usually indicated by having the tombs or graves of the same person in more than one particular place. That is why the graves attributed to Anatolian folk heroes such as Nasreddin Hodja, Yunus Emre or Koroglu are found in many places.

There are many versions of the Seven Sleepers’ story. It is even mentioned in the Holy Book of Muslims, the Qoran. Probably that is why the caves in which they allegedly slept for centuries are considered sacred by both the Christians and the Moslems. There maybe many versions of the story but the main theme consists of seven youths resisting against oppression of their faith. It was a kind of pacifist resistance, just by sleeping!

In the years 250 A.D. the official religion of the Roman Empire was paganistic and multitheistic. The spread of Christianity within the borders of the empire was not tolerated. Christians were persecuted constantly. Those who were captured were tortured and burn alive.

The seven young men in our story hid themselves in a cave to escape persecution. They prayed to God to save them. Their pursuers closed the mouth of the cave with huge rocks. Seven youths were forgotten in the cave. Years later, local people open the entrance to the cave removing the rocks to provide a shelter for their sheep. They do not realize that there are seven young men sleeping in the cave.

When They Awoke
Sunlight coming in from the entrance wakes up the seven friends. They thought that they had slept for a night, but in fact they have been sleeping for the past 309 years.
They send one of the friends down to town – in this case it is Tarsus, in other versions of the story it is Ephesus – to buy bread. When the baker sees the coin he is shocked, because the coin comes from a period three centuries ago. The young man is also in a shock, because the town is full of churches and crosses showing that Christianity had been accepted as an official faith. The young man goes back to the cave and tells his story to his friends. Upon this, the seven youths go back to sleep not to wake up again.

Catholics celebrate 7 July as the day of remembrance of seven sleepers. In the Orthodox Church the seven sleepers are believed to go to sleep on 4 August and woke up centuries later on 22 October. For the Moslems there is no particular day of remembrance for the seven sleepers.


The Waterfall of Tarsus

The inhabitants of Tarsus also move to the plateaus when summer heat begins scorching the town. This age-old tradition is still continuing but in a modern way. In the old days, people used to live in makeshift houses on the plateaus but now plush villas have taken their place.

Those who cannot “escape” to the plateau villas, go to the waterfall and cool themselves there. The waterfall is on the Berdan (Tarsus) Stream and it is very close to the town. The water falls from a height of 4 to 5 meters cooling the air. The environment here is green.

There is a restaurant just next to the waterfall serving fish, meat and of course, a variety of kebabs. On the other side, there is a good quality hotel.

A little further down from the waterfall, local children enjoy themselves and their spectators during the summer months by organizing competitions like jumping into the water from a bridge.


Geography and Climate:

Although Tarsus has a 30-kilometer coastline, it essentially is a city on land. The city’s northern border is formed by the range of Taurus Mountains while in the south it is the Mediterranean. The city spreads over an area of 1,888 square kilometers. In its west, there is the province capital Mersin and in the east it borders on the province of Adana. The landscape descends suddenly from an altitude of 2,600 meters to the sea. In such geography it is absolutely natural to find different formations. 59.4 percent of the area within the borders of Tarsus is mountainous while 40 percent is flat. Up to 500 meters of altitude on the mountain slopes the flora consists of laurel, olive, carob and myrtle trees. Further up to 1,000 meters oak and Turkish pines dominate the landscape. When you climb up further, forests consisting of Austrian pines, cedars and junipers dominate the landscape to an altitude of 2,000 meters.

On the plain there is a typical Mediterranean flora of citrus and other fruit trees, palm trees and dates.

The region is located within the Mediterranean climate system. Valleys stretching from south to north make it possible for this system to penetrate inland. The Taurus Mountain range that forms the northern border of Tarsus running from east to west separates central Anatolia from the Mediterranean region preserving the climatic stability of the region like a roof over it.

The annual average temperature is 18.5ºC. In the summer the temperatures range between 25ºC to 33ºC. Winters are warm and rainy, summers are dry and hot. Humidity averages 72 percent through out the year and remains almost constant for all months. In the winter temperatures average between 9ºC to 15ºC. The average temperature of the seawater is 20.2ºC for the year. While precipitation of snow is practically unknown in the town center, different amounts of snowfall are seen on the slopes of the Taurus Mountains and on the high plateaus. However, at Karboğazı, which is a winter sports resort located within the borders of Tarsus, snow can rise above 1 meter-level during the winter months.

The Waterfall of Tarsus

Namrun was the name of a plateau settlement in Tarsus. In 1991 it was upgraded as an administrative unit and its name was changed into Çamlıyayla. It is one of the oldest plateau settlements in the region. The town sits at an altitude of 1,100 meters and the surrounding landscape rises up to 1,400 meters.

In addition to some families from Tarsus who spend the summers here, there is also people who live all the year round. The population of the town is about 9,000. It is 60 kilometers to Tarsus and 90 kilometers to Mersin. The town is enveloped by forests on the Taurus Mountains.

The history of this settlement reaches back to very old times. It was probably settled during the period of Hittites and Assyrians. Later on it was ruled by the Crusaders, Seljuks, the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia and Karamanoğulları principality before being annexed to the territories of the Ottomans.

In the Hittite and Assyrian inscriptions the name of the settlement is mentioned as Ilibru.

The area came under Egyptian rule for a while during the wars between the Egyptian and the Ottoman armies.

In the summer the population of Çamlıyayla shoots up to 100,000 from 9,000 because in addition to people who have summerhouses here, there are also families who rent houses or stay at boarding houses and motels in the town to escape the summer heat of Çukurova. There are also a lot of restaurants in the town.


Rich Vegetation

The vegetation especially in the valley of Cehennem Deresi (Hell Stream) is untouched and it reminds one of tropical jungles.

There is a conservation area among the forests of Taurus cedars, Austrian pines and fir trees where wild goats are bred. Since 1989 the area is a controlled hunting zone.

Groups going on trekking on the Taurus Mountains also stop by here frequently. From here trekking tours are organized towards the regions of ÇiniligölCiniligol (Tiled Lake) and Karagöl (Black Lake) on the border with Niğde during summers. In the winter professional trekkers take the same course challenging the harsh conditions of the nature.

The Castle of Namrun (Lampron)

The castle of Namrun is the greatest historical heritage of the area. It was also the earliest human settlement here. The two northern towers made of hewn stones of the castle are in good condition. Round towers indicate that it was a typical Armenian castle built in 1045. The old name of the castle was Lampron.

The Roman Road

15 kilometers north of Tarsus there is a stretch of old Roman road near the village of Sağlıklı. The 3-meter wide, 3-kilometer long road is paved with limestone and serpentine.

The Castle of Gülek

The Gülek Pass was a historical the gate linking the shores of the Mediterranean to Çukurova (Cilicia on the Plain) and central Anatolia. This pass is in use in our day too. The castle here must have been built to control one of the main routes in Cilicia.

The Castle of Sinap

This castle, which is located 6 kilometers northeast of Namrun is believed to be built in the Middle Ages to control the Silk Road. The three story castle has four towers.


Landmark Trees

There are impressive landmark trees in the region. The 1100-year old juniper (juniperus foetidissima) tree near Kozpinari along the Kadıncık Stream in Çamlıyayla, the 680-year old, 20-meter tall cedar tree with a diameter of 9.5 meters at Cocakdere and the 40-meter tall cedar with a diameter of 2.34 meters near Atauctu are the landmark trees of the region.

The Priest’s Garden

15 kilometers from the town center there is a picnic area accessible through a road with many bends. The area is called The Priest’s Garden. The place is covered with Turkish pines, fir and chestnut trees and hazelnuts and it also has a historical plane tree. There are fresh water springs all over the area that spreads over 10 hectares. The ice-cold waters of the springs merge together and fall into the Kadıncık Stream flowing over a rock making a small waterfall.

There is a restaurant at the picnic area that serves trout that is farmed here in the stream.

Kadıncık Stream and Cehennem Stream (Hell Stream) are the tributaries of the Berdan stream, which flows through the beautiful recreational park in Tarsus.

The Kadıncık Crater Lake

This crater lake is one of the glacier lakes on the Bolkar Mountains 2,500 above the sea level. The surrounding area is green with vegetation. Local people have given a nickname to this lake and they call it “Bottomless.”

Fine Embroidery

Fine embroidery is a tradition in this region. It is very famous throughout Turkey. You can buy pieces of embroidery in Camlikaya stores and also at the marketplace where women sell them. If you are an expert in embroidery, you won’t find the prices exorbitant compared to the incredible amount of work it needs to produce such a piece.

Mersin

If we describe Mersin as a “big port city in the Eastern Mediterranean,” we would be telling the truth, but not the whole truth. If we say, it is a very old city that witnessed the great civilizations of history, still playing host to the rich historical heritage that was left over from them, we would still not be giving a complete description. Or shall we say, it is an area located on the most fertile land in Turkey, Çukurova, an agricultural region where fruits and vegetables burst forth from the earth? A place where sand beaches stretch alongside the emerald blue of the Mediterranean where the sun shines for 300 days a year; a holiday resort where numerous hotels offer most up-to-date amenities and comfort? A city behind which signs of traditional nomadic life still survives on the range of Taurus Mountains and the plateaus? Or shall we describe it as a place where Christianity first spread to Anatolia and a cultural environment where numerous languages, faiths and cultures mingle together? None of these descriptions is sufficient by itself to give a complete picture of Mersin. Maybe if we say Mersin is all of these, we might be able to convey a fairly adequate image. The difficulty that we encounter in describing this geography in East Mediterranean in a simple sentence does not stem from us. It is because of the multi-faceted character of this region.

Maybe it’s better to let the most renowned Mediterranean expert, Fernand Braudel, the famous French historian to give his description. He writes in his voluminous work on the subject, “What is the Mediterranean? A thousand things at a time! Not a landscape but innumerable landscapes. Not a sea but a series of seas. Not a civilization but civilizations piled up one above the other.”

In this city of sun, where the best lemon and orange groves of Turkey are found on its plains, vineyards sprawl up the lower slopes of its mountains, the Yoruks continue the 4000-year old tradition of the peoples of the Mediterranean who have migrated from one place to the other without break by moving up and down the peaks of Taurus mountains with their sheep and goats.

Tourists, who are sunbathing on the golden sands of the beaches under the scorching Mediterranean sun, could see the snowy caps of the Taurus Mountains when they lift their heads and look around. Between the beaches and the mountain peaks, there is a swath of year-round greenery offered by vegetable and fruit gardens and then as the landscape rises towards the mountains, pine trees and meadows. It is a gorgeous landscape stretching from the Mediterranean blue to the snow-white peaks of the Taurus Range.

Mersin city center is one of liveliest places in Turkey. The easygoing rhythm of daily life, so special to the Mediterranean, suddenly picks up speed here. Markets and shopping sections of the city display the hustle and bustle of all the big cities at anytime of the day.

Mersin is a fast-growing city where commerce, agriculture and tourism industries have converged. It is also a port city. The agricultural produce coming from the fertile Çukurova and industrial products manufactured in the region are exported through the port of Mersin. Imports needed for both industry and agriculture are also unloaded here.

Useful Information for Mersin

Tourism Information Telephone: (0324) 237 26 67

Mersin Museum:
Atatürk St. Kültür Merkezi (Cultural Center Telephone: (0324) 231 96 18
Open Everyday between 08.30 - 12.00 / 13.00 – 17.00 except for Mondays.
The museum which was set up in 1978 at a small section of the old Community Center (Halkevi) has grown bigger with the restoration of the building in 1991 when it was turned into a Cultural Center.
The objects on display at the Museum which also has an Ethnography Section include the finds excavated at Yumuktepe and Gözlükule, the earliest human settlements in Anatolia dating back to Calcolithic Age.
Atatürk House and Museum Telephone: (0324) 714 10 19 Open everyday except Mondays between 08.30 - 12.00 / 13.00 – 17.00.
State Museum of Art and Sculpture:
Inside the Atatürk Park Telephone: (0324) 231 56 21
This 19th Century building which was used as a residence and a hotel was later restored and refurbished as an attractive gallery. The building is worth seeing as much as the objects of art on display inside.


Mediterranean is not as docile as it seems
The Mediterranean was suitable for the development of maritime operations. And it developed in this direction throughout the history. However, this “suitability” does not necessarily mean that it was a sea of serenity. It is known since the Antiquity that the Mediterranean can be full of surprises any time.

In the 7th Century B.C. Hesiodos, one of the chroniclers of the Antiquity wrote in his “Works and Days” addressing his brother who was a seafarer and a farmer at the same time:
“Work the soil when the winter comes instead of going out to the sea where winds blowing from every direction turns its waters to the color of wine. Haul your vessel onto the shore and surround it with rocks … fold your sails heedfully, hang your rudder above the fireplace and wait for the season for going out to the sea to come.”

Famous Genovese Admiral Andrea Doria did not trust the Mediterranean either. He had this to say about it:
“There are three havens in the Mediterranean: Carthage, June and July!”


A Short Journey through a Long History

In Mersin, the adventure of human beings commences at the very early ages of history. Çukurova, which was one of the most fertile and naturally irrigated lands in the Mediterranean basin, hosted the first human settlers who learned how to cultivate the soil. Another advantage that this vast plain offered to its settlers was the forest that sprung up on its edge. In this area, which was called Cilicia during the Antiquity, first human settlements date back to the Neolithic Age. The excavations at the tumulli called Gözlükule and Yumuktepe uncovered valuable findings that shed light not only on the history of the region but the history of mankind in general.

While still unknown to the people living in the Aegean islands, Greece and Europe during 3000 B.C., the inhabitants of this area found out that adding tin to molten copper forms a strong and durable alloy called bronze and that they could manufacture weapons, agricultural tools, household utensils and other instruments with this metal. Bronze ushered in a new era in human history during which the society developed rudimentary stages of small industry passing into a higher level of production instead of relying exclusively on agriculture. This new mode of production blazed the trail for a new mode of social organization. Human societies were now moving out of closed agricultural communities, beginning to urbanize and starting trade between different regions.

In the early phases of human history, it took long years for a particular development in one area to spread into other communities. Inter-regional trade helped speed up spreading culture. Within this context, it was unthinkable that expeditions of trade and conquest would not pass through the fertile lands of Cilicia. Furthermore, ports in the region provided easy access.

The province of Mersin which today covers the ancient region of Cilicia possesses the marks of this long history and different cultures hosted by this land.

We shall make short journeys again in this ancient history as we stop by ruins and museums in the area.

Where Does the Name Cilicia Come From?

Strabon, the geographer from Amasya who lived during the 1st Century B.C. has defined the borders of Cilicia as stretching from Alanya (Caracesium) to Viranşehir / Mersin (Soloi / Pompeipolis) which constituted the Mountainous Cilicia (Tracheia) and from Mersin to the bay of Iskenderun (Alexandria Kat’isson) which was named Cilicia on the plain (Pedias). The Taurus Range of mountains that separated the area from interior part of Anatolia constituted the northern border.

We come across the name Cilicia for the first time in Hittite inscriptions dating back to 16th Century B.C. Adaniya referred to Cilicia on the plain and Chalaka was used to describe mountainous Cilicia. The area is referred to as Kedi (or Kode) in the Egyptian inscription of 15th Century B.C. Whereas the Assyrians called it Cihalakka (Hilakku) in the 8th Century B.C.

According to famous historian Herodotus, the name Cilicia goes back to Phoenician Hero Cilix. Cilix who was the son of Phoenician King Agenor, came to this area with his brothers searching for their sister Europa who was abducted by Zeus. According to Herodotus, when Cilix loses his hope to find Europe he settled here and gave the region his name.

Mersin City Center

Mersin which borders on Antalya, the most attractive tourism center of Turkey and the Mediterranean in the west and Adana which is a productive agricultural and industrial region, in the east has Mediterranean stretching all along its southern border. In the north, Taurus Mountain Range separates the province from the Anatolian hinterland.

Mersin is one of the major ports of the Mediterranean and a center of maritime trade as it has always been since the earliest periods of history.

A Landmark of Mersin : The Skyscraper

The 52-floor skyscraper still holds the title of “Tallest Building of Turkey.” One part of it is a hotel. The landmark building, which has metropolitan shopping centers around it, is a symbol of modern times in Mersin. There are conference rooms and offices of various businesses in the building.

You just have to take the elevator to the 52nd floor to have a bird’s view of Mersin.

The History of Mersin as a city

Mersin has a peculiar history of its own regarding urbanization in the whole region of Cilicia, settlements both in the mountains and flatlands. It is also different from the general characteristics of urbanization in Anatolia.

Many towns in Anatolia show a remarkable continuity throughout the history. Tarsus, one of the main towns to the east of Mersin city center and Silifke a major settlement to the west both have an urban history running through scores of centuries without a break. For example, the known history of Tarsus dates back to 7000 years and the city has been carrying the same name for the last 2000 years.

There is no such continuity of urban settlement in Mersin. Famous 17th Century Ottoman traveler Evliya Chelebi in his Seyahatname (Travelogue) mentions a certain village with about 70 households in the area called Mersinoglu.

We know that there were ancient cities in the geographical area where Mersin is located now. But there is no indication that there was a big city here during the Middle Ages or most part of the Ottoman history.

Mersin seems to have appeared as a city during the mid 19th Century. This is a period when important changes have taken place in this particular area. The governor of Egypt, Mehmet Ali Pasha of Kavala, rebelled against the Ottoman rule and took this region under his domination. He brought agricultural workers from Syria and Egypt and launched a campaign to restructure the agriculture of the area. With this campaign cultivation of sugar canes and cotton intensified in Mersin and surrounding regions.

Mersin showed a speedy development after the deregulation of trade between the Ottoman Empire and West European countries with the trade agreement of 1838 and the modernization movement of Tanzimat.

Tarsus, which had served as the main port of the Çukurova region in the past, was clogged with alluvia brought down by the rivers. Mersin was now taking over as the main port in the region.

In this way, Mersin’s progress from a small village to become a major port began. With commercial activity picking up around Iskele, (The Quay) population movements tended to concentrate towards this area.

Development was continuing fast and a big open market, with the participation of local and foreign traders, was organized every Friday on the Mersin quay in 1857. The commodities traded at this market were not restricted to agricultural produce only. It was the beginning of a full-fledged commercial sector and the nucleus of a new city.
From this point on Mersin began to take on the features of a commercial port city. A lot of people coming from different ethnic roots and different faiths started living here, a myriad of different languages were spoken on the streets. In 1886 there were consulates of 12 foreign countries functioning in Mersin.

Life in the Antiquity was completely different in Mersin where for a long period of time there was no urbanization.

The hill on which the State Opera House and the Mersin Museum are standing today is thought to be the location of the antique city of Zephyrion. The oldest human settlement in Cilicia on the plain, Yumuktepe is only few kilometers north of here.

The Port that Re-transformed Mersin and shaped its Future

The port that provided the dynamics of turning Mersin into a city by the mid-1800s has an importance in our day not only for Mersin and Çukurova but also for a larger geographical area. It is a candidate to become one of the largest ports in the Middle East depending on economic and political developments in the world.

The Free Trade Area and the port that was privatized in 2005 point to developments that will make Mersin a significant center for the region even beyond the borders of Turkey.

Heritage of the Past

You do not need to travel long distances to see the oldest signs of human presence in Mersin, which was settled by mankind during the earliest periods of history. At the Yumuktepe (Soguksutepe) tumulus located in the Demirtaş neighborhood, one of the oldest sections of the city, the signs of human settlement date back as far as the Neolithic Age.

You come across quite a number 19th Century structures and monuments like mosques, churches, hamams (public baths) and fountains in the old neighborhoods of the city.

Yumuktepe

Perhaps the Neolithic Age was the biggest leap forward in the history of humanity which, until then eked out a subsistence level living by hunting and gathering techniques. For hundreds of thousands of years human beings who had been finding shelter in the caves and living out on whatever the nature gave them, were now trying to augment what the nature was offering them by developing new tools. In other words, they were taking the first steps from reconciliation with nature in the direction of changing it.

Yumuktepe is one of the witnesses of this important turning point in the history of humanity. It possesses layers of settlements beginning with the Early Stone Age until the Islamic Civilizations of the Middle Ages.

The findings obtained from the archeological excavations between 1937 and 1940 and reports detailing this research were destroyed when the British Archeological Institute in Liverpool was bombed during World War II. Prof. John Garstan of Liverpool University who led the excavations at Yumuktepe gathered documents from Chicago University’s Oriental Institute and people who were privately in possession of such material and restarted the dig in 1947 and 1948.

After a long break following these first excavations, a team of Turkish and Italian archeologists resumed the work at Yumuktepe in 1993.

To see the objects evidencing the fact that humanity passed from the period of making tools from pure copper that is found very rarely in the nature to the phase of developing a technology to process abundant copper oxides to produce new metals in this part of the world, one has to go to the Mersin Museum.

But, let us first mention the places worth seeing around.

Zephyrium

There is very little information about this ancient city considered the first urban settlement in Mersin. The walls, marble columns and different structural elements uncovered during the construction of the present Cultural Center and Health Department buildings in the Çavuşlu neighborhood are the only remnants of the ancient city of Zephyrium that were able to survive until today. It is believed that further archeological work to be carried out on this tumulus would reveal important information that would shed light on the history of Mersin, Cilicia and the history of civilization in general.

Anchiale (Black Wall)

Historian and geographer Strabon also mentions the ruins found east of the city. Strabon writes that the Assyrian King Sardanapal built these walls together with the city of Tarsus in a single day. He also mentions King Sardanapal’s tomb, a lion’s statute and the inscription of the city, but all these have not been found yet. The remnants of aqueducts, parts of building structures, a Roman bath can also be seen around the tumulus, but unfortunately these bits and pieces do not tell much to the eyes of the amateur visitor.

Museum of Mersin

There are three exhibition rooms of the museum at the city center where archeological and ethnographical objects are on display. The most important archeological objects are the finds at excavations at Yumuktepe and Gözlükule tumuli. In addition to these, artifacts from the Hittite, Hellenistic and Roman civilizations can also be seen.

The exhibition room in the upper floor is allocated to ethnographic works. Works sculptured from large rocks are placed in the courtyard.

The museum is open every day except Mondays between 08:30 to 17:00. On the first day of religious holidays, the museum is closed for half a day.

Telephone : (0324) 231 9618

Monumental Structures

Almost all the monumental structures within city limits come from the 19th Century. Majority of these buildings that are found in the old quarters of the city belong to Turkish-Islamic period.

The Fountain of Bezm-i Alem Valide Sultan

Bezm-i Alem Valide Sultan was the mother of the 19th Century Ottoman ruler Sultan Abdulmecid. She was considered the patron of Mersin because she played an important role in the development of the city. The fountain is the earliest Islamic structure in Mersin. The inscription on the fountain says that it was built by Sultan Abdulaziz in 1861 in the memory of Bezm-i Alem. It is located on the corner of the Eski Cami (Old Mosque). With its triangular frontispiece and piers it displays local architectural characteristics.

Old Mosque (Eski Cami)

The mosque is again dedicated to Bezm-i Alem Valide Sultan, the protector of Mersin. The building was constructed in 1870. It is a rectangular, wooden, gable roofed structure with a single minaret. The mosque was renovated in 1901.


Mufti Mosque

This mosque was built by Mufti Emin Efendi in 1884 next to the stream and the bridge over it having the same name as the mosque: Mufti. The building was also used as a madrasa, religious school. The mosque has Baroque style ornamentation. Its altar carries the tugra, or the seal of the Ottoman sultan.

The Avniye Mosque

Because its minaret is wooden, this mosque was also known as “Wooden Mosque.” It has been built in 1898.

There are two more mosques that would attract your attention as you go on a city tour in Mersin. But these mosques are not historical; they are the structures of more modern times.

The Ulu Mosque (Grand Mosque)

This is a new mosque. The location was called the Customs Square in the old days. Now it is known as Ulu Çarşı. There was an old mosque built in 1898 called the Yeni Cami (New Mosque) at this spot. This mosque was torn down and the new structure was built on the same place. About 2000 worshippers can pray at the same time in the mosque which is decorated with Kütahya tiles.

The Mosque of Hazreti Mikdat (Mugdat)

This is the second biggest mosque built during the republican period in Turkey after the Kocatepe Mosque in Ankara. The mosque, which holds 10,000 worshippers at a time, has six minarets with three balconies each. It is reminiscent of Ottoman mosque complexes (külliye) with its conference room, library, public kitchen, hostel and health center.

The Italian Catholic Cathedral

The construction of the cathedral was begun in 1853 when the authorities gave permission to the Catholic merchants and Levantines who settled in Mersin after the development of maritime trade in the city. The church, which is run by Capuchin friars, is located on the Uray Street. The construction of the complex with its auxiliary sections and the clock tower was only completed in 1991. The Italian Catholic Cathedral is open to worship.

The Arab Orthodox Church

This is the oldest church still functioning in Mersin. It was built in 1878 on the street now named after Atatürk. It is open to worshippers.

Public Baths

Public baths are inevitable structures of a port city. This is the result of a human need that existed since the antique times. The public baths of Hadra at the Kiremithane neighborhood (1903), the Küçük Hamam (Small Bath) near the Hospital Street and the Büyük Hamam (Big Bath) in the marketplace at the city center were all built during the period when Mersin was developing as a port city in the 19th Century. None of these public baths are now functional.

The Atatürk House

This is one of the most beautiful buildings in Mersin. It was built in 1897 for the German Consul who married a lady from Mersin as his residence. Later, the building was used as a school. In 1976 the building was donated to public ownership by its owners and it was named The Atatürk House because the founder of modern, Turkey Kemal Atatürk stayed here as a guest for two weeks with his wife in 1925.

Work for renovating the building began in 1980 and in 1992 it was inaugurated as a museum.

On the ground floor of the house, which also has a beautiful garden, photographs and documents are exhibited. On the second floor there are bedrooms and a sitting room. Some personal effects of Atatürk are also on display on the second floor.

Two Faces of Mersin

you walk around the old neighborhoods and marketplaces of Mersin, you feel like you are in a time warp. The buildings and even the traditional human relations make you think that you have gone 50 or 100 years back in time. After a very short walk, you find yourself in the modern part of the city.

Walking on foot in the marketplace is a very pleasurable experience. It is an extremely colorful place. There are a lot of local flavors to taste and try. For example, licorice sherbet from the sellers on the street, spice shops, local sweet cezeriye and delicious kebab wraps called tantuni are all there for you to try.

Right next to them shops selling plastic wares and a modern store across from a historical Mersin house are the sights you will see.

The seashore reflects the modern face of the city. There is a two-lane road stretching along the coastline with wide pedestrian sidewalks.

One of the most enjoyable spots on the coast is the fishermen’s shelter. Fishing boats moored at the quay have been transformed into restaurants on the sea and they serve tasty meals. You may feel as a fisherman here.

Urbanization and Houses of Mersin

As we have mentioned before, Mersin is a city founded in the 19th Century. In a country like Turkey where there are many historical cities, 100 or 150 years might seem unimportant, although there are states in the world, the history of which hardly go back to 150 years. But, let us talk about the Mersin houses. Since the city was founded at a relatively late date, it is perhaps the most organized Ottoman town.

The houses and their distribution among the neighborhoods reflect the social and professional differences between their owners. As a port city growing fast, people from different origins came and settled in Mersin in growing numbers. The result was a multi-cultural community.

At the time when the city was being built, municipal rules of the Ottomans required that in order to be registered as a neighborhood, the smallest administrative unit in a city, it should have a primary school, a mosque and a police station, as well as a sewage system and well-arranged roads. There were also rules that the buildings should observe.

Because Mersin was founded and developed according to these rules, it is different than the other Anatolian towns. The city developed along two axes, one of them running from east to west and the other from the south to the north towards the plateaus and mountains.

The neighborhood called by the name of the mosque Cami-i Serif formed the center of the city.

The style of traditional Turkish houses consisted of wooden family quarters built on a ground floor made of stone. The upper floor usually had an oriel overhanging the street. All the houses used to have gardens. The houses of Mersin generally followed this pattern. However, very few of these traditional houses were able to survive until modern times.

However, the houses in the city center belonging to merchants were different. Merchants coming from the Middle East or Europe were constructing buildings that reflected the architectural characteristics of their homelands. Such rich merchants were usually hiring foreign architects to construct their mansions. These buildings represented the modernity concept of the 19th Century. They were usually two-story stone buildings. The ground floors were designed to have shops and storage facilities alongside the entrance to the house. These shops and storage rooms had separate doors opening to the street for moving goods easily.

The interior arrangement of these houses consisted of four or five rooms opening to a hallway running along the width or the length of the building. Between the rooms there was no passage, all of them opened to the hallway. At each end of the hallway there were oriel windows jutting out into the street.

These buildings had bathrooms, toilets and kitchens on both floors. However, they did not have built-in wardrobes in the rooms, a traditional feature of the Turkish houses.

The shops and storage rooms on the ground floor were either rented out or used by the owner of the house for his commercial needs.

The building which we call the Atatürk House today, has a different architectural design. This building is also known as the Christmann House. It originally belonged to the Greek merchant family of Mavromati. Christmann was the German Consul in Mersin who married Mavromati’s daughter.

Another type of rich family mansion consisted of an open courtyard around which the building rose. It was probably an architectural style inspired by the Ottoman building patterns.

Castles Around Mersin

As we tour the area we shall frequently come across castles built during the Middle Ages and the Byzantine period. Some of them are in or close to Mersin. For example, the castle of Tirmil (Tumil, Gotbes) is within the borders of the city, to the east of the Eastern Wholesale Vegetable Market.

The other castles around Mersin are called Belenkeşlik, Çandır (Paparayn), Dümbelek, Evciler, Gözne, Hebilli, Hisar (Ziyarettepe), Kale, and Kalegediği. Some of the castles are relatively in good condition but little is left to our day from the others.

West of Mersin

coastline running west from Mersin is the area where the tourism industry is concentrated and developed. This coastline stretches up to the border of Antalya province with wide sand beaches, plains, river deltas and from time to time steep, rocky cliffs at places where the Taurus Mountains hit the shore at right angles.

The flatlands on this coastline are full of banana, orange and citrus gardens. Some of these gardens have been transformed into tourist facilities lately. Developing tourism industry naturally affects the lifestyle of the local people. As tourism-oriented activities concentrating on the coast spread towards the plateaus, the indigenous culture of the people living on high ground opens up to tourism and in turn gets affected by tourism itself.

The Mediterranean is used to population movements historically. This lifestyle has been going on for thousands of years in this part of the world. That is why, the people living in the eastern edge of the Mediterranean on Anatolian soil did not have any difficulty in orienting themselves towards this kind of new lifestyle brought to them by new initiatives in tourism industry. These people who have been migrating from place to place throughout history did not find anything odd in adapting themselves to tourists; the migrating people of modern times!

Mersin is growing fast towards the west. Buildings that were built as summer residences originally are now inside city limits.

Towards Erdemli

This area is originally the vegetable and fruit granary of Mersin. Greenhouse cultivation is extremely developed. There are no big industrial plants in the area.

With the development of tourism in the area, accommodation provided in the beginning by small boarding houses now continues by big and quality-service offering hotels.

As we move inland from the coastline, orange and lemon groves, banana gardens and greenhouses growing vegetables increase. Parts of the area closer to Mersin were first developed by building summerhouses. But with the city spreading so fast, the neighborhoods here have become part of Mersin where people live all year round.

Hotels begin rising at Mezitli. Mezitli has become part of the city center, one of the neighborhoods within city limits.

Pompeipolis

2 kilometers inland from Mezitli you come across the ruins of antique city Pompeipolis at Viranşehir. This is an impressive place among 20-story apartment blocks surrounding it. The columned road is enough to demonstrate the richness and architectural success of this antique city. Pompeipolis was an important Roman city before it was flattened by an earthquake in the 6th Century. The main 10-meter wide thoroughfare of the city that runs for 450 meters down to the sea is thought to be built during the 2nd or 3rd Centuries. Once there were 200 columns that embellished this road. Only 40 of them have been found so far. There are human and animal figures on the columns.

Excavation work is still continuing shedding more light on the history of this antique city. Before Pompeipolis, there was a city called Soloi in this location. Soloi got its name from the sun. It was a port enriched by trading with Egypt and Cyprus. It was quite developed in philosophy and science at the time.

Roman general Pompeius came to Cilicia with his army to put an end to the domination of pirates in the region. He allowed some of pirates worthy of his mercy to settle in Soloi. He developed the city and gave his name to it. The city was to be called Pompeipolis from that point on. During the Byzantine period, Pompeipolis continued to be an important center and became a diocese with a bishop.

But in the year 527 a devastating earthquake leveled the city. All the efforts of the city to recover from the disaster were in vain. It became the target of attacks by Sasanites and Moslem Arabs. It is thought that the inhabitants of the Pompeipolis evacuated the city a while later.

Findings at Pompeipolis excavations are exhibited at the Mersin Museum.

Cilicia, Pirates and Looters in the Mediterranean

The Mediterranean is the place where maritime trade flourished. Boat building also showed a slow by stable improvement. Vessels were not instrumental in exchanging goods. People traveled by them too. Merchants took their goods with them in the ships to sell in overseas lands and brought back other commodities. Human experiences, knowledge and art were also transported from place to place on board these ships. Naturally, the cargos of these vessels did not only consist of “good” things. Contagious diseases, viruses unknown to people in those overseas lands against which they did not have an immunity system, also came and went on board these ships.

But the most decisive aspect of all this movement in the Mediterranean was trade and the richness it brought to people. And the pirates and the looters who wanted to grab their share of this wealth.

The Civilization That Developed in the Mediterranean

Let us go on a journey in the old times and find out the source of piracy and see how they were able to hold the seas under their sway despite the powerful empires that ruled the land. And let us mention another threat to the authority of the rulers in the Mediterranean basin. These were the mountain tribes known as looters. These tribes living on the peaks of Taurus Mountains were descending on flatlands pillaging the cities that have grown rich on agriculture and trading.

The Mediterranean entered history as a waterway. In the Antiquity, the variety of fish in the Mediterranean was quite rich. But despite the richness of variety, the amount of fish was not great in numbers. The Mediterranean did not have the kind of fish that move in large schools.

In our day, the situation is graver. Nino Caffiero, an expert on sea life, says, “A day will come when fishing in the Mediterranean will be prohibited and this sea will be turned into a zoological park for the protection and preservation of species living in it.”

If there is no concerted international initiative taken, it won’t be long before this prediction becomes a reality.

The Mediterranean was never a sea of abundance that fed the people living around it.

But it offered other possibilities to them. It gave them the water surface as a means of transportation. Maritime transportation has always been the cheapest way of moving goods and people. This cheap transportation helped develop trade. Trade in turn brought wealth. Port cities were founded and developed. A city that lost its port because of earthquakes or alluvial clogging was departing from the scene of history. The Mediterranean had such a decisive effect on the lives of people living around it. The reason for the fight for domination among the people in the Mediterranean region was not for land but for the sea. In order to control the maritime commerce, armies were conquering land.

As you will find the examples in this book, the inhabitants of port cities were evacuating their homes and moving inland to more secure areas in fear of attacks by the pirates.

The Mediterranean is still offering richness to the peoples living around it. The diminishing importance of sea trade caused by giant transport planes, developed land routes and railways is now balanced with the fact that Mediterranean became one of the most favored tourist destinations of the world.

Wealth on the Seas and Piracy

As a “waterway” through which trade developed, the Mediterranean helped develop side industries such as shipbuilding and working wood. Ships sailing from port to port in many countries also affected agriculture. The most important commercial goods of the trade in the Mediterranean were olives, olive oil, grapes and wine.

Coastal cities were not indulging only in trading the goods they were producing. The produce of inland regions, primarily such as wheat and grains were also exchanged through maritime commerce.

The fact that maritime commerce developed first in the Mediterranean is closely related with the characteristics of its coasts. Vessels made in the early stages of history were quite simple and they were not suitable for riding the high seas. So they sailed close to the coast. There was a need for shelter whenever a storm broke out. The coasts of Mediterranean and especially the coastline of Anatolian peninsula are dotted with innumerable coves and bays that would provide shelter for the ships. Furthermore, there were a great number of cities and towns on the coast, which meant an increase in the commercial turnover. At every port\ merchants could buy and sell. Commodities exchanged through many hands meant higher profits.

Piracy in a sea where such wealth was circulating did pay off well indeed. Meanwhile squabbling between various empires, kingdoms and principalities for domination worked in the interests of the pirates. Those holding on to power were supporting the pirates operating on their rival’s territory and cooperating with them. Of course, the pirates had ports where they could sell their booty.



Piracy developed and gained power so much that in the end not only the seaways of the Mediterranean but a lot of towns around the sea went under the domination of the pirates.

Mankind began sea faring in the second half of the 3rd millennium B.C. and it developed oars and sails in the 2nd millennium B.C. Before that time sea was an obstacle for moving from place to place. With mankind able to sail now, the sea turned into a medium of transportation.

Pirates and Slave Trade

Pirates were not only the enemies of ships of trade and rich commercial ports on the sea shore, they were also preying on the poor peasants.

The advent of oars increased the need for human power on board the ships. There were poor people who volunteered for the job because they did not have any other means of livelihood. Later on, prisoners were condemned to “galleys” a term still existing in the judicial jargon. But the main source of this human power was the galley slaves. Because of the very harsh conditions they were forced to live in, these slaves did not live long years. So there was a constant need for new slaves to row in the vessels. Slave trade was one of the most profitable practices in those years. Pirates posing as traders would go on the shore and capture poor peasants whom they sold as slaves later or made them work on their own ships. Young women were also considered “valuable commodity.”

A Mode of Trade Created by Fear of Pirates

Because of these insecure conditions, people created a new method of trading during the earliest stages of maritime commerce, which enabled exchange of goods without the buyer and seller meeting face-to-face.

According to this mode of trade, the merchant ship would unload its goods to be sold on the shore, light a fire and sail back to a safe distance so that the customers are not scared. The people on the shore would come and check the goods, take whatever they like or need and leave their own commodities, which they thought to be of equal commercial value to the goods they have taken. Then the merchant ship would come ashore to take what the people have left for them. In this way buyers and sellers were never coming in touch personally. The rule was, of course, bartered goods should be matching in value so that the trade would continue.

Bartering has been practiced since very old times. It is still a method of trading. However, it originated from the fear of slave-grabbing pirates.


The Beginning of the End of Piracy

Like all over the Mediterranean, in Cilicia too, pirates hold the region under their yoke. After the Roman Empire dominated the area, it was unable to follow the policies of Seleucos and pirates and robbers proliferated and strengthened in the region.

Mercenary sailors in the navy lost their jobs; exports of timber, the main source of revenue in Cilicia, diminished drastically and the people were impoverished significantly. Those who could not make a living naturally joined the pirates.

The Roman Senate took the first serious step against this problem in 102 B.C. by deciding to send Praetor Antonius to the area. Piracy which was taken partly under control during this period, increased again in 92 A.D. under the governorship of Sulla. The pirates were supported by Mithridates, the King of Pontos. Heavy taxes levied on people by Governor Sulla also made people defect to the pirates in the sea and robbers on the mountains. The people hated the rulers because of these oppressive policies. This feeling of dissent led to a change in the reputation of pirates and robbers. They were no longer seen as thieves but revered folk heroes.

Finally, the Roman Senate sent General Pompeius in 67 B.C. to Cilicia. Pompeius carried out some economic reforms in addition to using force to solve the problem of piracy.

By the strengthening of the Roman rule in the region, Cilicia was reorganized as a Roman province. Local people who were indulging in piracy or leading a nomadic life were settled in towns. The city which was originally called Soloi was renamed Pompeipolis and developed as a new settlement. Pirates became citizens with proper jobs and houses. They married and had children. In this way piracy in the Mediterranean came to an end.

From Mezitli to Erdemli

The road between Mezitli to Erdemli is 23 kilometers. All along the road greenhouses where vegetables are cultivated run as far as the eye can see. Summerhouses also line up along the road. Tourism is also developing in the area with new and quality service providing hotels. This region where the summer season lasts longest in Turkey is preparing to play an important role in the future of tourism.

Vegetable and fruit gardens decrease as the land rises towards the Taurus Mountains. Grain fields take their place at the plateaus on high ground. As the landscape rises higher, pine forests begin reaching the peaks of the mountain range.

West of Erdemli, there is a settlement called Limonluk. When you drive 500 meters inland from the coastal road, you arrive at the ruins of the antique city of Limos where the remnants of its castle can be seen.

The Mersin Cuisine
The Richness of Nature and Culture

Mersin possesses the fish and other products of the sea that Mediterranean provides. On the other hand, it has a wide variety of agricultural produce grown in different environmental and climatic conditions offered by the plains, plateaus and mountains. This rich variety of flora and fauna naturally has led to a remarkable kitchen tradition.

Here too, like elsewhere in the Mediterranean, people moving place to place throughout the history, ships transporting different cultures from port to port have contributed to the culinary richness in addition to the variety of foodstuffs coming from land and sea. Food tradition also shows differences at human settlements as you go up to the heights of Taurus Mountains from the seashore.

In Mersin and surrounding tourism centers the specialties of the local kitchen can be found. The basis of the local kitchen consists of a great variety of kebabs. Some of these are even eaten during the breakfast or just as snacks between meals. The most widespread one is the tantuni that could be bought from street vendors. It is made of small pieces of steak.

It is not possible to list all kinds different kebabs that you can savor in the region. But there are characteristics special to Mersin of the kebab tradition that is common to the Çukurova region and southeast Turkey.

A special kind of meatballs called içli köfte which is baked in oven or fried elsewhere is cooked by boiling here which makes it easier to digest.

When it comes to seafood, giant prawns called “jumbos,” and grouper, the most favored fish of eastern Mediterranean, porgy, leerfish, brown meager, octopus and calamari are highly recommended.

There are also tastes exclusively special to Mersin. “Zahter” is one of them. It consists of roasted and powdered chickpeas, watermelon and sesame seeds with the addition of the local spice “zahter” which is belongs to the family of thyme. Bread freshly out of the oven is opened and soaked with virgin olive oil, then this mixture is spread in it. People who like to try new tastes should definitely try this. Locals eat this at breakfast.

The most popular soft drink is called şalgam suyu, and it is extracted from turnips. In the summer licorice sherbet is refreshing drink. After the meals people drink what they call Tarsusi coffee. It is really what we call Turkish coffee but it the difference is that it is served in tea glasses.

There are also a wide variety of local sweet desserts. But the one that is special to this area is cezeriye, which is made of sweet carrots. It is found everywhere. Künefe, a local version of kadayif, made with unripened cheese somewhat similar to mozzarella is also very famous.

Recently, local chefs concocted a new dessert that is served at the end of raki meals. It is made of avocados, a newcomer among Mersin’s fruit produce, crushed sesame seeds, powdered chestnuts and honey. This sweet is a candidate for becoming the most popular dessert on Mersin’s dinner tables.

The tastiest dishes of the local cuisine are generally hot and spicy. As the tourism industry developed, the waiters have learned to warn the patrons before serving these dishes. But we decided to draw your attention anyway.




A Source of Energy: Cezeriye

It seems that there is a neck-to-neck competition in Mersin between the cezeriye and tantuni vendors. It is hard to decide which of the two beats the other in numbers. At every step there is a shop selling either of the two delicacies.

The recipe for cezeriye, which is rich in A, and B vitamins goes like this:

Carrots are cleaned and cooked in big boilers. (For selling purposes the usual measure is 50 kilos of sugar to 100 kilos of carrots. Then 250 grams of citric acid crystals are added. Walnuts, chestnuts or pistachios are mixed with the cooked carrots. Then the thick paste is cut either by hand or by the machines. Pieces of cezeriye are sprinkled with coconut powder so that they don’t stick to each other. If you want to make cezeriye at home, cut half a kilo of carrots in small cubes, add 2 glasses of sugar and water just to wet the sugar and cook it until the mixture gets soft. Mash the mixture with a wooden spoon and make it into a puree. When it becomes a thick paste take it from the fire. If the paste sticks to your finger then it is done. Separate 1.5 of five full glasses of very coarsely ground chestnuts. Add 3.5 glasses to the mixture and squeeze it firmly in a deep glass vessel. Sprinkle the rest of the chestnuts on the mixture and leave it to cool off. When it cools off, cut it into half a centimeter thick pieces with a wet knife and sprinkle coconut powder on them.

Bon Appetite!

Plateaus and the Plateau Tradition

Çukurova is one of the hottest regions in Turkey. Back in the old times, people living in the Mediterranean region found out a solution to escape the heat. When the nomadic people came and settled on the shores of the Mediterranean, they adapted their nomadic culture to the climatic features of this land. In the winters they lived on the plain and when summer came and the scorching Mediterranean sun dried up the grazing fields, turning them into yellow, they began migrating to the highlands on the Taurus Mountains. Nomads, who made a living out of sheep and goats, followed the green grass. In another sense, this was a migration to evade the diseases like malaria fanned by the heat of Çukurova.

On the plateaus, they milked their animals, they made cheese in animal skins, they spun the wool shorn from their animals and made tents from goat hair. These tents provided insulation from heat and cold and most importantly they were easy to set up and dismantle. These tents made of light material were transported on the backs of camels. Some of them wove kilims, traditional pileless carpets both for themselves and for selling at marketplaces.

Before the weather turned into winter and cold winds start to blow on top of the Taurus Mountains, they returned down to the plain.

This traditional lifestyle is still continuing in our day, adapted to contemporary conditions. There is also a modern aspect to this plateau tradition. City folk are building houses and villas on the plateaus, accessible by wide asphalt roads. Those who have to work in the city, jump into their cars after work and reach their home in half an hour. The family and the children are spending whole summer days there anyway.

Plateaus close to the urban areas are now populated by city people, instead of nomadic yoruks.

In some places Taurus Mountains rise quite steeply. One of the most famous plateaus on the Taurus Mountains is called Gözne and it is only 34 kilometers from the city center. But it is 1,100 meters above the sea level. Çamlıyayla, on the other hand, is 90 kilometers from the city and it is at an altitude of 1,430 meters. This was a small plateau called Namrun in the old days. Now it has the looks of a fully developed town. On a hill nearby, it even has the ruins of an antique castle.

There are innumerable such plateaus in the region. It can even be said that each village has its own plateau.

Plateau Tours

Tourists vacationing in Mersin can have daily expeditions to the plateaus. These tours offer them visiting different places and observing a different culture as well as taking a day off the summer heat to cool themselves off breathing the fresh air of the plateaus. A snack on these plateaus consists of a special pastry called gözleme washed down by ayran (kind of buttermilk)


The Climate

Mersin has a long coastline in eastern Mediterranean. The city leans on the Taurus Mountains in the back. Between the mountains and the sea there are plains that are quite narrow most of the time but widening up in some places. These plains are the most fertile agricultural lands in Turkey. Çukurova, where the city center is located is a wide and big expanse of flatland. In some places the mountains hit the shore perpendicularly creating steep cliffs leaving inaccessible strips on the shore. These are the spots that provide shelter for sea creatures under threat of extinction like the Mediterranean seals and other species. On these shores they come and feed and reproduce.
Mersin has a typical Mediterranean climate. As the landscape rises rather steeply from the seashore towards the Taurus Mountains, the climate changes abruptly. While the peaks of the Taurus Mountains are capped in white snow, you can swim in the warm waters of the Mediterranean below.
There is sunshine on an average of 300 days of the year. The number of rainy days do not exceed 70 in a year. Even when it rains, it does not continue for the whole day. During the summer tourism season that opens at the beginning of May and continues until the end of October, that is within a six-month period, the number of rainy days do not exceed 16 out of a total of 183. During the high season, that is 122 days in June, July, August and September, the average of rainy days is only 6.
From the beginning of May until the end of October the seawater has a temperature suitable for swimming without shivering! Again during this period, the beaches are fit for sunbathing. The seawater temperature averages 22.7ºC in May and 24.8ºC in October. People who don’t mind the cold open their swimming season in April and continue taking a dip in the sea until the end of November. In fact, this is no great feat in Mersin. The temperature of the seawater rises up to 20ºC in mid-April and remains above the same temperature until mid-November.
The Mediterranean sun shining permanently is ready to warm wet bodies coming out of water anyway.