Mersin

Area: 15.853 km²

Population: 1.651.400 (2000)

Traffic Code: 33

Mersin that an important harbour city at the East Mediterranean shore, offers every possible activities to travellers with streets overshadowed by palms, city park, modern hotels, ruins near the city, numberless beaches. Moreover, the city remembered in history with the name of Saint Paul (he is from Tarsus) and with areas between Alanya and Mersin that was given from Mark Antuanious as a marriage gift to cleopatra.

Nearly 108 kilometre lengths of Mersin shores composed from naturel beaches. These beaches preferred because of their thin sands and cleanness, and their suitability for underwater hunting. Kulakköy, Taşucu, Susanoğlu, Kuruçay, Lamas, Yemişkumu, Kız Kalesi, Çeşmeli, Ören, Balıkova, İskele, Yenikaş, Ovacık, Büyük Ecelive and Anamur Beaches are some of that beaches. For whom fond of history and archaeology there is Viranşehir (Pomeipolis) which city built on area that area was continuous settlement place since Neolithic Age, and city is an roman city built at Rome Period.

City was Papacy in Christianity Period, than destroyed by an earthquake in 525. Necropolis (graveyard), theatre, public baths, water canals, temple ruins are exist. Eski (old) Mosque is an important building remains from Ottoman Period (1870). It was restored at different times. Rome Public Bath hosts big amount of visitors with it’s interesting mosaics.

Districts: İçel (center), Anamur, Aydıncık, Bozyazı, Çamlıyayla, Erdemli, Gülnar, Mut, Silifke, Tarsus.

At the 320 kilometre length coast band of Mersin province that 108 kilometre of them is sanded shores and formed with naturel beaches, is very rich by the means of historical, cultural values. At the Mersin that is settlement place since Neolithic Period, there are lots of archaeological and historical creations remains from calceolithic, Hittite, Rome, Byzantine and Ottoman civilisations.

The places should be seen and visited in Mersin are listed bellow:

Tarsus: St. Paul Church, St. Paul Well, Gözlü Kule (tower), Donuk Taş (stone), Ashabı Kehf Cave, Cleopatra Gate, Rome Road are important historical and cultural values of county.

Mersin: Yumuk Hill and Soli Ruins are places to be seen.

Anamur: Anamurium Ruins and Mamure Castle are important historical places.

Aydıncık: 4 columned Monument Tomb would be seen.

Bozyazı: Arsione, Nagidos and Softa castle are places to be seen.

Erdemli: Kanlıdivane Ruins, Ayaş, Korikos, Adamkaya Embossments are important historical and cultural values of county.

Gülnar: Meydancık Castle, Alahan Monastery at Mut,

Silifke: Cennet-Cehennem Caves, Silifke Castle, Tekir Ambarı, Jupiter Temple, Ayatekla, Holmi Ruin, Silifke Aphrodisia, Uzuncaburç Tower, Olba are most important ones.

How to Get

Roadway: Province has connection to all cities by roads

Coach Station Tel : (+90-324) 238 16 48

Railway: Mersin has connections with lots of provinces and international connections by railway.

Train Station Tel: (+90-324) 451 35 10

Maritime way: City connected more than hundred harbours by sea with Mersin International Harbour. Harbour gives international quality harbour services.

Periodical sea bus voyages arranged from Taşucu harbour.

Harbour Tel: (+90-324) 233 32 72

Airway: Adana Şakirpaşa Airport is 69 kilometre away to city and 32 kilometre to Tarsus, and has periodical national and international air voyages.

Museums

Mersin Museum: Museums sections made with chronological order of archaeological data’s. Upper floor of museum is servicing as ethnography Museum.

Mersin Atatürk House: Mersin Atatürk House exhibits lots of valuable items related to visit of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk to Mersin and founded items related to Atatürk, moreover it serves as museum.

Religious Monuments

The region had been cradle for various civilisations, and hosted to especially Byzantine and Rome civilisations that civilisations effect Christ People and Europe Countries in different dose.

There are two important center for Religion Tourism in province. First one is house and well of Christ’s disciple St. Paul at the Tarsus that house declared to Christian pilgrimage place from Papacy. Other one which is important for both Muslim and Christianity and placed at Silifke/Başucu, is Sacred Aya Tekla (Meryemlik (mother Mary)). And that was accepted as pilgrimage place at the early Christian Period. All are important religion visiting centers. Moreover Tarsus Ashabı Kehf Cave is in the borders of province too.

İçel

Makam-ı Şerif Mosque and Danyal Prophet Mausoleum (Center): Makamı Şerif Mosque is constructed in 1857. At east of the mosque, there is the mausoleum of Danyal Prophet. For this reason, “Makam mosque” name is given to the mosque.

Hz. Danyal, had lived during II. Babil King Nebukadnesar (605 - 562 B. C.) period, and saved the Jewish people from Babil slavery via his sciences and predictions. According to the rumor; Nebukadnesar had learned from his dreams that a boy from İsmailoğulları will shake his throne. Thereupon, he ordered his subjects to kill all boys born from İsmailoğulları. When Hz. Danyal born, his family left him to a cavern on a mountain. In the cavern, under the guardianship of a male and female lion, Danyal had grown, and after his childhood Danyal had joined to its tribe. During a famine year, with the coming of Tarsus invited prophet Danyal to Tarsus, a plenty year is occurred, and for this reason Prophet Danyal did not let to return to Babil, and buried to the place where Makam Mosque is present now after his death.

In A. H. 17, when Tarsus is conquered during Hz. Ömer period, mausoleum of Prophet Danyal is opened, and a very long corpse bandaged with a canvas, woven with golden thread, is found here within a huge tomb. As a symbol of his adventures, a ring is found, on which two lions, from one is male, and a boy licked by a female lion figures are carved. Thus, Hz. Ömer, to protect the body of Prophet Danyal from robbery of Jewish people, had buried him to a more deep cemetery and waters of a small stream, coming from Berdan River, is passed over it. Consequently, during the final repair of the mosque, thick and smooth crenel bars are found at the entrance point at below and behind part of the mosque at very deep. Corpse of the Prophet Danyal is much more deeper than these waters, passing from these crenels.

Ashabı Kehf Cavern (Tarsus): It is 14 kilometers away from Tarsus, and near to Ulaş Village. This cavern, which is mentioned in Holy Quran, Kehf section, is deemed as holy by Moslems and Christians. You can climb down to the cavern via 15 - 20 stages.

A legend of Eshab-ı Kehf Cavern is mentioned among natives. During the periods, when belief to mythological gods is loosing power gradually, seven Christian boys (Seliha, Mekseline, Meslina, Mernuş, Sazernuş, Debernuş and Kafetatyuş), who are escaping from torture as they believe in monotheism, had taken to the attendance of the king as they are not accepting to turn back to idolatry. King gave them a few days period with saying that they should believe in idolatry otherwise they will be killed. Seven boys, with benefiting from the period, had escaped to a cavern with taking the dog named Kıtmir with them for escaping from death. They are granted with a sleep of 300 years by God. And first awakened one among them, had gone to the city for buying food, but arrested due to the old coins of him. When arresting person had come to the cavern with him, he had seen nothing other than a nest, where seven chick birds were perching. For this reason here is named as Seven Sleepers Cavern.

Ulu Mosque (Tarsus): The Mosque in Tarsus, is constructed in 1579 by İbrahim Bey, son of Piri Pasha from Ramazanoğluları on St. Pierre Church ruins. On the minaret with single balcony aside of mosque, Ottoman and Seljukian methods are reigning.

Caves

There are many caves formed as a result of geological movements and corrosion in province. Cennet and Cehennem concave Cave, Narlıkuyu, Köşekbükü, Buğu Hole are important caves of province.

Caves of İçel

Yalan Dünya Cave

Location: İçel

The cave is located on the Yalandünya Hill locality, 1 km northwest of Sele Quarter which is at 13 km away from the Gülnar road separation on the Anamur - Silifke road.

Properties: The cave is partially horizontal and partially vertical. There are beautiful stalactites, stalagmites and pillars inside the cave. Cave pearls with large amounts could be observed. Scattered ceramic pieces are found inside the great saloon.

There are two entrance locations to the cave which is developed inside the karstic limestone. The distance between the entrance points are approximately 100 meters. One of the entrance is an opening that looks like a window of 8 x 6 m. size on a cover shaped like a dome and the descend into the cave could be managed by special ladders which are 17 meters long.

The descend is directly on an ebuly with approximate thickness of 30 meters. The slope of the ebuly is nearly 40 degrees. The great saloon here is 92 meters long ve67 meters wide. After ascending 10 meters, you enter into a small saloon. From this saloon, it is possible to reach to the bottom of a shaft with 30 meters depth.

Cennet Pit Cave

Location: İçel

The cave is at 63 km. southwest of İçel and 22 km. away from Silifke. Reaching to the Narlıkuyu bay is possible by the asphalt road of 1800 meters on İçel - Silifke coastal road.

Properties: The Cennet Pit Cave is formed as a result of various geological movements and by the corrosion of underground waters and is one of the most interesting and attractive natural formation of İçel.

The cave has formed by the collusion of the ceiling because of the erosion of an underground creek inside the Miocene period limestone layers. The cave has approximately 275×125 m. diameter and the deepest point is 135 meters from the edge. The Cennet Pit cave descends as an inclined shaft to the direction of south and obtains the shape of a cave at the end. The temporary lake is dry in summer but the lake appears at the period when the underground water level is high.

Cennet and Cehennem Pits are two shafts formed by the collusion of the upper level of a same underground system. Descend down the pit is possible via a stair track from Roman period. There are ruins of a Byzantium church at the west edge.

Cehennem Pit Cave

Location: İçel

The cave is at 63 km. southwest of İçel ve22 km. away from Silifke. The cave is located at 75 meters east of Cennet Pit.

Properties: The cave has formed by the collusion of the ceiling because of the erosion of an underground creek inside the Miocene period limestone layers. The cave is elliptical with the dimensions of 50×75 meters. It is steeper and more narrow when compared with the Cennet Pit. The debris massed at the floor of the pit caused by the collapsed ceiling descends towards west to east with an approximate slope of 30 degrees.

Cennet and Cehennem Pits are two shafts formed by the collusion of the upper level of a same underground system.

Narlıkuyu Cave

Location: İçel
Reaching to the Narlıkuyu Cave is possible by the asphalt road branching from İçel - Silifke road inside Narlıkuyu village.

Properties: The cave has developed inside the Miocene limestone. The cave is located at 300 meters west of Cennet cave and the entrance is 160 meters higher than sea level. After a narrow entrance followed by steep parts about 20 meters, the cave expands in the direction of east - west as wide saloons. There are numerous stalactite and stalagmites and pillars inside these saloons.

There is a car park and guard cabins outside the cave. The cave receives visitors since 1987.

Marinas

A Marina project that fits on international standards, developing with the aim of carrying yacht tourism to East Mediterranean Sea. For these aim 500 yacht capacity Main Yacht Marina is still building, that the project adjudicated in 1994.

Yacht Base at Çamlibel, Mersin with 300 - 500 yacht capacity, giving services of drinking water for yachts, electricity, cleaning and security. For being frontier at caring yacht tourism to east Mediterranean Sea, traditional East Mediterranean Yacht Rally arranged since 11 years, last three years route ended at the Mersin Yacht Base.

At the Mersin Yacht Base; mavi tour, Daily tours and mehtap (night) tours are arranged.

Mersin - Mother Juniper

Place: Mersin, Tarsus
 
Characteristics: A 840 years old and 21 meters tall juniper tree that have a diameter of 2.75 meters and circumference length of 7.20 meters.

Foundation Date: 29.09.1994

Mersin - Koca Katran

Place: Mersin

Characteristics: A 620 years old and 40 meters tall cedar tree that have a diameter of 2.34 meters and circumference length of 7.40 meters.

Foundation Date: 27.09.1994

Thermal Resorts

At Mersin province there are plentiful curative waters. Some of them are Mersin - Güneysu, Güneyyolu, Tarsus Akçakoca, Tarsus Keşbükü Mineral waters, Silifke Saparca hot spring, Mut -Hocantı thermal spring.

Local people go to various plateaus on Toros Mountains at summers. At Mersin center county Gözne, Ayvagediği, Kızılbağ, Soğucak, Bekiralanı, Fındıkpınarı, Mihrican, Çamlıyayla, Namrun, Sebil, at Tarsus county, Gülek, at Erdemli county, Sorgun, Güzeloluk, Küçükfındık, at Silifke county, Balandız, Gökbelen, Kırobası, at Gülnar county Bardat, Tersakan and Kozağaç plateaus, are places that majority of Mersin population live at summer months.