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84-425: The capital of the province is the city of Mersin . The province is named after its biggest city Mersin. Mersin was named after the aromatic plant genus Myrsine ( Greek : Μυρσίνη , Turkish : mersin ) in the family Primulaceae , a myrtle that grows in abundance in the area. The 17th-century Ottoman traveler Evliya Çelebi has recorded in his Seyahatnâme that there was also a clan named Mersinoğulları in

168-475: A Jewish community which had a tiny Synagogue in the neighborhood of Balbey and a Talmud Torah. The Synagogue was closed in 1948 and its exact location is not known, and the Synagogue might not exist anymore. The Jewish community had 2 graveyards and one was located across "Donerciler carsisi"and was demolished when the area was opened to construction, but one marble tombstone belonging to a Jew named Raphael Moshe

252-461: A Turkish-Islamic character. Historical architecture is concentrated in the walled city, Kaleiçi ; ancient structures are not well-preserved in the rest of the city of Antalya as the modern city was built on the ancient city. Kaleiçi , with its narrow cobbled streets of historic Ottoman era houses, is the old center of Antalya. With its hotels, bars, clubs, restaurants, and shopping, it has been restored to retain much of its historical character. It

336-789: A casket of bones reputed to be those of St. Nicholas , the bishop of Myra , further down the Turquoise coast. The area of Antalya was subject to naval attacks by the Arabs of the Abbasid Caliphate . Attalea was a major city in the Byzantine Empire . It was the capital of the Byzantine Theme of the Cibyrrhaeots , which occupied the southern coasts of Anatolia . According to the research of Speros Vryonis, it

420-428: A city of narrow streets containing 3,000 houses in 20 Turkish and four Greek neighborhoods. The town had grown beyond the city walls and the port was reported to hold up to 200 boats. In the 19th century, in common with most of Anatolia, its sovereign was a "dere bey " (landlord or landowner). The family of Tekke Oğlu, domiciled near Perge had been reduced to submission in 1812 by Mahmud II , but continued to be

504-769: A residential bishopric, Attalea in Pamphylia is today listed by the Catholic Church as a titular see . The 13th-century Seljuk mosque at Attalea, now in ruins, had been a Christian Byzantine basilica from the 7th century. The Great Mosque had also been a Christian basilica and the Kesik Minare Mosque had been the 5th-century Christian Church of the Panaghia or Virgin and was decorated with finely carved marble. The archaeological museum at Attalea houses some sarcophagi and mosaics from nearby Perga and

588-651: A rival power to the Ottoman governor until the early 20th century, surviving by many years the fall of the other great beys of Anatolia. The records of the Levant (Turkey) Company, which maintained an agency in Antalya until 1825, documented the local dere beys. In the early 20th century, Antalya had two factories spinning and weaving cotton . As of 1920, the factories had 15,000 spindles and over 200 looms . A German -owned mill baled cotton. There were gin mills . In

672-600: A seating capacity of 2,700. Eleven new sports venues were built for Mersin to host the 2013 Mediterranean Games . The Servet Tazegül Arena , the fourth biggest indoor arena of Turkey with its 7,500 seating capacity, hosted the men's basketball events and the volleyball finals of the Games. The athletics and paralympic athletics events were held at the Nevin Yanıt Athletics Complex . Mersin University

756-563: A strong political base in Antalya, winning approximately between 15 and 25% of the vote in elections since 2007. The city voted in favour of the AKP government's proposed constitutional reforms in the 2007 referendum , but voted against the reforms proposed in 2010. In the 2014 local elections , Antalya once again voted for the AKP, with the MHP taking support away from the CHP by winning a record 24.3% of

840-516: A target for the governing right-wing Justice and Development Party (AKP). The AKP unexpectedly won control of the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality in the 2004 local election . The AKP won a plurality in Antalya in the 2007 general election , symbolising the city's political transformation from a CHP stronghold to a CHP-AKP marginal battleground in the 21st century. The loss of Antalya was a major political setback for

924-460: A type of subtropical climate with hot, humid summers and mild, wet winters. Mersin has its highest rainfall in winter. The driest months are in summer with hardly any rainfall at all. The highest temperature of Mersin was recorded on 3 September 2020 at 41.5 °C (106.7 °F), and the lowest was recorded on 6 February 1950 at −6.6 °C (20.1 °F). The population of the city was 1,040,507 according to 2022 estimates. This figure refers to

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1008-545: Is 89%. About 43% of the male population and about 27% of the female population graduated from middle school. Infant mortality is 0.48%. Urban population growth rate is 2.42%. Population density is 117 as of November 2020.(In the table below, the four second-level municipalities are merged within Mersin proper.) The city of Mersin is one of busiest cities in Turkey. Due to the economic activity in this part of Turkey generated by

1092-615: Is a large city and port on the Mediterranean coast of southern Turkey . It is the provincial capital of the Mersin Province (formerly İçel). It is made up of four district governorates, each having its own municipality: Akdeniz , Mezitli , Toroslar and Yenişehir . Mersin lies on the western side of Çukurova , a geographical, economic and cultural region of Turkey. It is an important hub for Turkey's economy, with Turkey's largest seaport located here. The city hosted

1176-681: Is a problem in many areas, but it never snows on the coast, only in the mountainous areas. In antiquity, this coast was part of Cilicia , named for a Phoenician or Assyrian prince that had settled here. Trade from Syria and Mesopotamia over the mountains to central Anatolia passed through here, through the Cilician Gates . The geographer Strabo , described the region as being divided into "Rugged Cilicia" ( Cilicia Trachea , Κιλικία Τραχεία in Greek ) and "Flat Cilicia" ( Cilicia Pedias , Κιλικία Πεδιάς). The capital of both sections of Cilicia

1260-655: Is best known in Turkey for its tantuni , and restaurants serving it can be found all over the country. The provincial cuisine includes specialties such as: The city was formerly home to Mersin İdman Yurdu , a football club that played in the Süper Lig as recently as the 2015–16 season . The men's basketball team of the Mersin Büyükşehir Belediyesi S.K. plays in the Turkish Basketball League while its women's basketball team plays in

1344-449: Is cooked around a stick) spicy hibeş with mixed cumin and tahini, tandır kebap, domates civesi, şakşuka , and various cold Mediterranean dishes with olive oil . One local speciality is tirmis , boiled seeds of the lupin, eaten as a snack. "Grida" (also known as Lagos or Mediterranean white grouper) is a fish common in local dishes. The main transportation to the city is by air and land. Sea routes are still under development. In 2007,

1428-457: Is covered with forests. In these areas, picnic areas, playground, restaurant and similar facilities are provided. There are lake and forest views on the promenade at Feslikan Plateau to the west of the city center where visitors can also enjoy nature sports and nature walks. The oil wrestling competition festival organized in summer, what accompanied with concerts. The pond in Doyran town, located to

1512-492: Is held on the historical Lycian Way . The event runs eastward on a route of around 220–240 km (140–150 mi) from Ölüdeniz in Fethiye district of Muğla Province to Antalya in six days. Akdeniz University enrolls over 60,000 students and 4,000 academic and administrative staff. Antalya's signature cuisine includes piyaz (made with tahini , garlic, walnuts, and boiled beans), şiş köfte (spicy meatball which

1596-456: Is linked to Adana via Tarsus by way of TCDD trains. The city was named after the aromatic plant genus Myrsine ( Turkish : Mersin , Greek : Μυρσίνη ) in the family Primulaceae , a myrtle that grows in abundance in the area. The 17th-century Ottoman traveler Evliya Çelebi also recorded in his Seyahatnâme that there was a clan named the Mersinoğulları (Sons of Mersin) living in

1680-492: Is surrounded by shopping and business centres and public buildings. There are sites with traces of Hellenistic, Roman , Byzantine , and Seljuk architecture and cultures. There are also examples of the local Greek architecture in the city, with five Greek Orthodox churches in the old city. The walled city is surrounded by a large metropolitan area. With high rates of immigration since the 1970s, this area contains large gecekondu neighborhoods that are not well-integrated into

1764-426: Is surrounded by two walls in the shape of a horsenail, one of which is along the seafront, built in a continuous process from Hellenistic to Ottoman times. The historical harbour is located in this part of the city; narrow streets extend from the harbour and branch off into the old city, surrounded by wooden historical houses. Cumhuriyet Square, the main square of the city and a spot very popular for tourists and locals,

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1848-678: Is the fifth-most populous city in Turkey and the capital of Antalya Province . Recognized as the "capital of tourism" in Turkey and a pivotal part of the Turkish Riviera , Antalya sits on Anatolia 's southwest coast, flanked by the Taurus Mountains . With over 2.6 million people in its metropolitan area, it is the largest city in Turkey's Mediterranean Region , situated along the Mediterranean Sea . The city

1932-539: Is the mainstay of city's economy. It is an international hub for many vessels routing to European countries , with a capacity of 6,000 ships per year. Next to the port is the Mersin Free Zone , established in 1986 as the first free zone in Turkey , the zone is a publicly owned centre for foreign investors, close to major markets in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, Russia and Central Asia . In 2002

2016-584: Is the terminus for intercity bus services, replacing the bus station that had been in the city centre since 1986. A metro system with 11 stations and a length of 13.4 kilometres (8.3 mi) is scheduled to open at the end of 2026. Since August 2024, the city is served by Çukurova International Airport . Work is underway to complete the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant , Turkey's first nuclear power plant, some 80 miles west of Mersin. Environmental groups, such as Greenpeace , have opposed

2100-610: Is very sunny, with nearly 3,000 hours of sunlight per year. Frost does occasionally occur at night almost every winter, but snow is a very rare phenomenon. The highest recorded air temperature was 45.4 °C (113.7 °F) on 1 July 2017 but later this record was removed and turned back to 45°C (113°F) in 6 July 2000. Record low is -4.6°C (23.7°F) in 5 February 1950. Record snow depth is 5 cm (1.97 inches) in January 1993. The mean sea temperature ranges between 16 °C (61 °F) in winter and 27 °C (81 °F) in summer. In 2010,

2184-601: The 2013 Mediterranean Games . As urbanisation continues eastward, a larger metropolitan region combining Mersin with Tarsus and Adana (the Adana-Mersin Metropolitan Area) is in the making with more than 3.3 million inhabitants. Çukurova International Airport (COV), 74 kilometres (46mi) from Mersin city center, is the nearest international airport. There are ferry services from Mersin to Famagusta (Mağusa) in Northern Cyprus . Mersin

2268-687: The Aegean coast, but Turkish people do come to this coast, especially now that the hotels have air-conditioning, and perhaps more to the mountain country behind where there are healing mineral water springs. In summer the hills are a popular retreat from the high humidity and extreme heat on the coast. West of Mersin includes bays, and little islands. Yacht touring is a tourism income in these areas. 36°40′43″N 33°48′19″E  /  36.67861°N 33.80528°E  / 36.67861; 33.80528 Mersin Mersin ( pronounced [ˈmæɾsin] )

2352-503: The GAP Project Mersin is Turkey's biggest Mediterranean port, and also hosts an oil refinery and a free trade zone ; there are a number of factories along the road between Mersin and Adana , manufacturing glass, detergents, fertilizers and many more. With all this activity a modern city has grown with a university and other major amenities. Mersin does not have the huge volume of tourists enjoyed by neighbouring Antalya or

2436-737: The Ramadanid Emirate , first as a protectorate of the Mamluk Sultanate , then as an independent state for roughly a century and then as a protectorate of the Ottoman Empire from 1513 until 1518 when it was annexed into the Ottoman Empire and turned into an imperial province. During the American Civil War , the region became a major supplier of cotton to make up for the high demand due to shortage. Railroads were extended to Mersin in 1866 from where cotton

2520-596: The Seljuk Empire in 1207 and an expanding Ottoman Empire in 1391. Ottoman rule brought relative peace and stability for the next five hundred years. The city was occupied by Italy for three years in the aftermath of World War I , but was recaptured by a newly independent Turkey in the Turkish War of Independence . While the city itself only has modest elevation changes, Antalya has high mountains in all directions to its interior. With moisture being trapped,

2604-592: The Turkish Women's Basketball League . The city has one football stadium, Mersin Arena , with a seating capacity of 25,534. There was another stadium, Tevfik Sırrı Gür Stadium , which had a capacity of 10,128 and is now demolished and turned into a park. The men's and women's basketball teams of the Mersin Büyükşehir Belediyesi S.K. play their home matches at the Edip Buran Sport Hall , which has

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2688-563: The local climate thus has high winter rainfall, while the interior bay setting result in very hot summers for a coastal city. The city is Turkey's biggest international sea resort on the Turkish Riviera. Large-scale development and governmental funding has made it a prime destination for tourists. Antalya is currently the fourth-most visited city in the world, trailing behind only Istanbul , London , and Dubai , attracting more than 16.5 million foreign visitors in 2023. The city

2772-540: The İçel Sanat Kulübü (Art Club of Mersin) and Mediterranean Opera and Ballet Club . The Mersin Citrus Festival is a festival organized to promote the citrus produced in Mersin. The festival typically includes folk dancers from different traditions and sculptures constructed from different types of citrus. The first festival was held in 2010. The festival is held annually on a weekend in November. Mersin

2856-701: The 1st century: Attalea was visited by Paul of Tarsus and Barnabas , as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles : "Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia . And when they had spoken the word in Perga , they went down to Attalea, and from there they sailed to Antioch ". Some of the bishops attributed to the episcopal see of Attalea in Pamphylia may instead have been bishops of Attalea in Lydia (Yanantepe), since Le Quien lists them under both sees. No longer

2940-519: The 20th century, the population of Antalya increased as Muslim refugees from the Caucasus and the Balkans moved into Anatolia. The economy was centered on its port that served the inland areas, particularly Konya. Antalya (then Adalia) was picturesque rather than modern. The chief attraction for visitors was the city wall, and outside a promenade, a portion of which survives. The government offices and

3024-668: The 21st century. In the 1987 singing diva Dalida held her last concert in Antalya. Antalya was the host city for the 2015 G-20 summit and the EXPO 2016 . Five countries have their consular missions in Antalya including Belgium, Germany, Russia, Serbia and the United Kingdom. Antalya has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate ( Köppen : Csa ) or a dry-summer humid subtropical climate ( Trewartha : Cf or 'wet Cs' ). It experiences hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. While rainy spells are common and often heavy in winter, Antalya

3108-592: The Address-Based Birth Recording System showed a metropolitan population of 1,001,318 (502,491 male; 498,827 female). Source for 1530–1889. According to the TÜİK Institute of Statistics, as of October 2022, 120,000 foreigners live in the city. Agricultural production includes citrus fruits , cotton, cut flowers , olives, olive oil and bananas. Antalya Metropolitan Municipality's covered wholesale food market complex meets 65% of

3192-627: The Antalya Metropolitan Municipality is Muhittin Böcek of the CHP, in office since 2019. For general elections, Antalya elects 18 Members of Parliament to the Turkish Grand National Assembly . Antalya has traditionally been seen as a stronghold for the Kemalist centre-left party Republican People's Party (CHP). Being the capital of the fifth most populous province in Turkey, Antalya is politically strategic and has been

3276-496: The CHP not only because of its significance as a centre for tourism, but also because the CHP's former leader Deniz Baykal is a Member of Parliament for the province. The province is divided into 19 districts. The CHP regained control of the Metropolitan Municipality in the 2009 local elections , though the AKP won a plurality in the 2011 general election . The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) also have

3360-567: The Latins. The attackers were defeated after a siege of less than 16 days. Kaykhusraw would take Attalea the following year and build its first mosque. Christians rebelled and captured Attalea with aid of Walter of Montbéliard in 1212. Briefly restored Byzantine rule in Attalea was ended by Kaykaus I in 1216. The city and the surrounding region were conquered by the Seljuk Turks in

3444-794: The Mersin urban area; Mersin Archaeological Museum , Mersin Atatürk Museum , Mersin Naval Museum , Mersin State Art and Sculpture Museum , Mersin Urban History Museum , Mersin Water Museum . In the western suburb of Viranşehir (Ruined City) the remains of the ancient city of Soli/Pompeiiopolis stand close to the sea. Only two colonnades dating from the 2nd or 3rd century are obvious although

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3528-480: The Muslims live in the main city. Round the whole town and all the quarters mentioned there is another great wall. The town contains orchards and produces fine fruits, including an admirable kind of apricot, called by them Qamar ad-Din, which has a sweet almond in its kernel. This fruit is dried and exported to Egypt, where it is regarded as a great luxury. In the second half of the 17th century Evliya Çelebi wrote of

3612-636: The Roman emperor Hadrian . After the death of the emperor Theodosius I in 395 and the subsequent permanent division of the Roman Empire, Mersin fell into what became the Byzantine Empire . The city was an episcopal see under the Patriarchate of Antioch . Le Quien names four bishops of Zephyrium: Aerius, present at the First Council of Constantinople in 381; Zenobius, a Nestorian ,

3696-462: The airport added a new terminal. The city has a main port at the south of the Konyaaltı. Road transport in the city is estimated by Climate Trace to have emitted over a million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2023. There is a network of look-alike Dolmuşes that are privately owned and operated minibuses , under municipal government control. Antalya Ulaşım, a municipally-owned corporation, runs

3780-567: The area. Ninth biggest province of Turkey by land area, Mersin consists 2,02% of Turkey . 87% of the land area is mountain, leading up to the rocky heights of the central Taurus Mountains , the highest peak is Medetsiz (3,584 m) in the Bolkar range, and there are a number of important passes over to central Anatolia . There are many high meadows and small plains between 700 and 1500m. The coastal strip has many large areas of flatland, formed from soil brought down by rivers and streams running off

3864-405: The area. In the 19th century Mersin was also referred to as Mersina. This coast has been inhabited since the 9th millennium BC . Excavations by John Garstang of the hill of Yumuktepe have revealed 23 levels of occupation, the earliest dating from ca. 6300 BC. Fortifications were put up around 4500 BC, but the site appears to have been abandoned between 350 BC and 300 BC. Over the centuries,

3948-569: The cities, allowing the people to have fun, rest and get closer to nature. Some of them are green areas around lake, pond and dam lakes, and some are highland and forest areas. The prime urban green areas include Antalya City Forest, Atatürk Park, Kepez City Forest. The largest amusement park in Antalya is the Aktur Park. Other modern recreational areas include 3 aquaparks in the city, Konyaaltı, Lara beaches, Beachpark especially for summer holidays, while Saklıkent also has facilities for skiing in

4032-440: The city had seven flour mills . Wheat was imported, and then processed in town before exportation. Antalya imported manufactured items, mainly from the United Kingdom. The city had a Greek minority that made up 1/3 of the population until the population exchange. Antalya also had a tiny Armenian population which had a church on the street of "Hamam çikmazi" named Hovhannes Surp Garabed, which was later on demolished. Antalya also had

4116-657: The city is Antalya Atatürk Stadium . The city hosts a number of international sports competitions due to its longer lasting warm weather condition. Since 2006, one of the four stages of Archery World Cup events are held at the Antalya Centennial Archery Field . It also hosted European Weightlifting Championship in 2012, European Beach Volleyball Championship in 2003, European Triathlon Championship in 2013 and World Kickboxing Championships in 2013. Since 2010, an international multiday trail running ultramarathon , called Lycian Way Ultramarathon ,

4200-575: The city once more. Following the Sack of Constantinople by the Crusaders in 1204, Niketas Choniates records that Attalea was the personal fiefdom of a certain Aldebrandus, "an Italian by birth who was strictly raised according to Roman tradition". When Kaykhusraw , sultan of the Seljuk Turks attempted to capture the city in 1206, Aldebrandus called Cyprus for help and received 200 infantry from

4284-486: The city profited from trade in molybdenum (white lead) from the neighbouring mines of Coreyra . Ancient sources attributed the best molybdenum to the city, which also minted its own coins. The area later became a part of the Roman province of Cilicia , which had its capital at Tarsus , while nearby Mersin was the major port. The city, whose name was Latinised to Zephyrium , was renamed as Hadrianopolis in honour of

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4368-520: The city was ruled by many states and civilisations including the Hittites , Assyrians , Urartians , Persians , Greeks , Armenians , Seleucids and Lagids . During the Ancient Greek period, the city bore the name Zephyrion ( Greek : Ζεφύριον ) and was mentioned by numerous ancient authors. Apart from its natural harbour and strategic position along the trade routes of southern Anatolia ,

4452-637: The construction. Mersin is home to a State Opera and Ballet, the fourth in Turkey after Istanbul , İzmir and Ankara . Mersin International Music Festival was established in 2001 and takes place every October. The photography associations Mersin Fotoğraf Derneği (MFD) and Mersin Olba Fotoğraf Derneği (MOF) are amongst the city's most popular and active cultural organisations. Some cultural activities are sponsored by

4536-622: The early 13th century. Attalea was the capital of the Turkish beylik of Teke (1321–1423) until its conquest by the Ottomans, except for a period of Cypriot rule between 1361 and 1373. The Arab traveller Ibn Battuta , who visited the city in 1335–1340, noted: From Alanya I went to Antaliya [Adalia], a most beautiful city. It covers an immense area, and though of vast bulk is one of the most attractive towns to be seen anywhere, besides being exceedingly populous and well laid out. Each section of

4620-514: The fabric of the city and suffer from poor economic conditions and insufficient education. Gecekondu areas are concentrated in the Kepez district, where an estimated 70% of the houses were gecekondus in 2008. In 2011, it was estimated that there were 50–60,000 gecekondus in Antalya, housing around 250,000 people. Antalya has beaches including Konyaaltı , Lara and Karpuzkaldıran. Beydağları and Saklikent are used for winter sports. There are urban parks and protected natural areas located outside

4704-488: The free zone's trading volume was US$ 51.8 billion. Historically, Mersin was a major producer of cottonseed oil. The area around Mersin is famous for citrus and cotton production. Bananas, olives and assorted other fruits are also produced. Mersin has highway connections to the north, east and west. It is also connected to the southern railroad. Mersin railway station in the district of Akdeniz has been in use since 1886. Opened on 28 February 2015, Mersin Bus Terminus

4788-444: The fresh fruit and vegetable demand of the province. Since 2000, shipyards have been opened in Antalya Free Zone, specialized in building pleasure yachts. Some of these yards have advanced in composites boat building technology. Corendon Airlines and SunExpress are headquartered in Antalya. Antalya is one of the Mediterranean 's leading tourism destinations, the city being home to an array of famous attractions. In 2012, it

4872-437: The houses of the higher classes were outside the walls. As of 1920, Antalya was reported as having a population of approximately 30,000. The harbor was described as small, and unsafe for vessels to visit in the winter. Antalya was exporting wheat, flour, sesame seeds , livestock, timber and charcoal. The latter two were often exported to Egypt and other goods to Italy or other Greek islands, who received mainly flour. In 1920,

4956-469: The inhabitants lives in a separate quarter. The Christian merchants live in a quarter of the town known as the Mina [the Port], and are surrounded by a wall, the gates of which are shut upon them from without at night and during the Friday service. The Greeks, who were its former inhabitants, live by themselves in another quarter, the Jews in another, and the king and his court and Mamluks in another, each of these quarters being walled off likewise. The rest of

5040-507: The mountainous rugged terrain of the whole province Mersin is located at the western edge of the Çukurova plain. Earthquake risk of the city is relatively low especially compared to other regions of Turkey, but due to its closeness to several other fault lines in Anatolia, the city center, which was built on an alluvial deposit is considered to be a risk region. Mersin has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate ( Köppen climate classification : Csa , Trewartha climate classification : Cs ),

5124-491: The mountains. This is fertile land, the largest area being the plain of Tarsus . The largest rivers are the Göksu and the Berdan (Göksu Calycadnus and Berdan Cydnus of antiquity), but there are many small streams running into lakes, reservoirs or the Mediterranean sea. Mersin has 321 km of coastline, much of it sandy beach. The climate is typical of the Mediterranean; very hot and rainless in summer, mild and wet in winter. The winter rains can be very heavy and flooding

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5208-405: The name Anatolia . King Attalus II of Pergamon is looked on as founder of the city in about 150 BC, during the Hellenistic period . It was named Attaleia or Attalia ( Ancient Greek : Ἀττάλεια ) in his honour. The city served as a naval base for Attalus's powerful fleet. Excavations in 2008, in the Doğu Garajı plot, uncovered remains dating to the 3rd century BC, suggesting that Attalea

5292-411: The outline of the agora and of a mole from the harbour can just about be made out. The Chasms of Heaven and Hell are located in the rural region of Silifke , a district in Mersin. The chasms are two sinkholes that were naturally formed from underground waters melting the layer of limestone above. The heaven sinkhole has a small monastery located in the corner of the entrance. The deepest point of

5376-433: The province was Mersin. In 2002 the name of the province was changed to Mersin Province. As of 1920, Mersin had five piers at its port, with one privately owned by a railroad company serving Mersin, Tarsus , and Adana . Today, Mersin is a large city spreading out along the coast. It has the longest seashore in Turkey as well as in the Eastern Mediterranean . The Metropolitan Municipality has rescued long stretches of

5460-460: The provinces of Mersin and İçel were merged. The new province was named "İçel" and the city of Mersin was made its capital. The province was renamed to "Mersin" on 28 June 2002. Mersin province is divided into thirteen districts four of which are actually included within the municipality of Mersin city (shown in boldface letters). About 50% of the population of the province is younger than 24 years of age. 68% were born in Mersin. The literacy rate

5544-410: The seafront with walkways, parks and statues, and there are still palm trees on the roadsides. Since the start of the Syrian War in 2011 Mersin has acquired a large population of Syrian refugees. On 6 February 2023 Mersin was shaken by the twin Turkish-Syrian earthquakes . Citizens made homeless in cities further to the east also flocked to Mersin in search of shelter. There are six museums within

5628-494: The sinkhole is 135 meters deep. The hell sinkhole is 128 meters deep. In mythology, there is a story of Zeus temporarily trapping Typhon in the sinkhole. The city has a total of three modern shopping malls, from which the Forum Mersin is the largest one. Mersin Marina can also be considered a shopping center with over 40 shops, apart from its main function as a marina . In the old city center you will find further shopping opportunities and bazaar-like shopping areas. Unlike

5712-481: The urban part of the four districts Akdeniz , Mezitli , Toroslar and Yenişehir , that had a total population of 1,077,054 at the end of 2022. As of a 2021 estimation, the population of the Adana-Mersin Metropolitan Area was 3,300,000 inhabitants, making it the 4th most populous area of Turkey. The Mersin Interfaith Cemetery , in the Yusuf Kılıç district, serves as a cemetery for all religions with graves of Muslims , Christians and Jews . The Port of Mersin

5796-405: The vote. Antalya was a hotspot for the 2013–14 anti-government protests against the AKP. The secular main opposition, CHP, regained control of the Metropolitan Municipality in the 2019 local elections . The football club of Antalya, Antalyaspor plays in the Süper Lig . The team's home venue is Antalya Stadium , with a capacity of 33,000, which was opened in 2015. Another football venue in

5880-468: The vote. The CHP subsequently accused the AKP of systematic electoral fraud, and the presence of government minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu at one of the vote counting centres drew strong condemnation. In the 2014 presidential election , the CHP and MHP's joint candidate Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu won 53.08% of the vote. The AKP's candidate Recep Tayyip Erdoğan won 41.63% of the vote, and the HDP democratic socialist candidate Selahattin Demirtaş won 5.30% of

5964-460: The west of city is very suitable for picnic and fishing. In addition to the open air recreation areas, the number of shopping centers, which have increased rapidly in recent years, can also be classified as a rest area with the facilities they offer. The shopping centers in the city are gathered in the center. Among the leading shopping centers in the city are Antalya 5M Migros, Antalya Kipa, Terra City, Deepo, Agora, and Mall of Antalya. The mayor of

6048-952: The winter months. The preserved nature areas include Güllük Mountain National Park in Antalya-Korkuteli highway, Mount Olympus National Park in Kemer and Düden and Kurşunlu Waterfalls. Other protected areas include the Damlataş and the Karain Cave and the Guver Cliff. It offers picnic and recreation facilities in various parts of the city. Picnic areas, rafting facilities in Köprülü Kanyon in Manavgat. The part of Korkuteli-Antalya border in western part of Antalya

6132-604: The writer of a letter protesting the removal of Bishop Meletius of Mopsuestia by Patriarch John of Antioch (429–441); Hypatius, present at the Council of Chalcedon in 451; and Peter, present at the Council in Trullo in 692. The bishopric is included in the Catholic Church 's list of titular sees , but since the Second Vatican Council no new titular bishop of this Eastern see has been appointed. Cilicia

6216-627: Was Tarsus and Mersin was its seaport. The Seljuks later captured it from the Byzantines and it then came under the Crusaders then the Seljuks again and finally the Ottomans captured it and it remained part of the Ottoman Empire until 1922. The province of Mersin until 1933 didn't include the western territories of the modern province, which then constituted the separate İçel province, with Silifke as its administrative center. In 1933,

6300-529: Was a rebuilding and expansion of an earlier town. Attalea became part of the Roman Empire in 133 BC when Attalus III , a nephew of Attalus II, bequeathed his kingdom to Rome at his death in 133 BC. The city grew and prospered during the Ancient Roman period and was part of the Roman province of Pamphylia Secunda , whose capital was Perga . Christianity started to spread to the region even in

6384-596: Was conquered by the Arabs in the early 7th century, by which time it appears Mersin was a deserted site. The Arabs were followed by the Egyptian Tulunids , then by the Byzantines between 965 and c.1080 and then by the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia . Under Armenian Cilicia , the region of Mersin served as the powerbase for the House of Lampron . From 1362 to 1513 the region was captured and governed by

6468-411: Was exported by sea, and the city developed into a major trade centre. In 1909, Mersin's port hosted 645 steamships and 797,433 tons of goods. Before World War I , Mersin exported mainly sesame seeds , cotton, cottonseed , cakes and cereals, and livestock. Cotton was exported to Europe, grain to Turkey and livestock to Egypt . Coal was the main import into Mersin at this time. Messageries Maritimes

6552-802: Was formerly known as Attalia and was founded in around 200 BC by King Attalus II of Pergamon . Attalia was soon conquered by the Romans . Roman rule saw the city thrive, including the construction of several new monuments, such as Hadrian's Gate , and the flourishing of nearby ancient cities such as Patara , Xanthos and Myra in the Lycia region; Perga , Aspendos and Side in Pamphylia ; and Sagalassos , Antioch and Termessos in Pisidia . These cities were already significant centers before Roman influence. Antalya has changed hands several times, including to

6636-451: Was founded as "Attaleia" ( Ancient Greek : Ἀττάλεια ), named after its founder Attalos II , king of Pergamon . This name, still in use in Greek, was later evolved in Turkish as Adalia and then Antalya. Attaleia was also the name of a festival at Delphi and Attalis (Greek: Ἀτταλίς) was the name of an old Greek tribe at Athens . Despite the close similarity, there is no connection with

6720-428: Was founded in 1992 and started teaching in 1993–1994, with eleven faculties, six schools and nine vocational schools. The university has had about 10,000 graduates, has broadened its current academic staff to more than 2,100 academicians. Toros University is a non-profit private foundation established in Mersin in 2009. Çağ University Tarsus University Mersin is twinned with: Antalya Antalya

6804-402: Was reported it attracted 30% of foreign tourists visiting Turkey. In 2022, Antalya received 13.4 million foreign tourists by air. Despite having architectural heritage dating back up to Hellenistic times, most historical architecture in Antalya date to the medieval Seljuk period, with a number of mosques , madrasahs , masjids , caravanserais , Turkish baths and tombs giving the city

6888-608: Was the largest shipping line to use the port at Mersin. In 1918, the Ottoman Empire collapsed and Mersin was occupied by French and British troops in accordance with the Treaty of Sèvres . It was recovered by the Turkish Army in 1921 at the end of the Franco-Turkish War . In 1924, Mersin was made a province, and in 1933 Mersin and İçel provinces were merged to form the (greater Mersin) İçel Province. The capital of

6972-557: Was the major naval station on the southern Anatolian coast, a major commercial center, and the most convenient harbor between the Aegean Sea and Cyprus and points further east. Besides the local merchants, "one could expect to see Armenians, Saracens, Jews, and Italians." At the time of the accession of John II Komnenos in 1118, Attalea was an isolated outpost surrounded by Turkish beyliks, accessible only by sea, but his capture of Sozopolis in 1120 re-opened land-communication with

7056-523: Was transferred to the Antalya Museum where it can be seen in the museum garden. The city was occupied by Italy for three years (1919-22) in the aftermath of World War I , but was recaptured by a newly independent Turkey in the Turkish War of Independence . Large-scale development beginning in the 1970s transformed Antalya from a pastoral town into one of Turkey's largest metropolitan areas. Much of this has been due to tourism, which expanded in

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