Pergamnon Guide

Pergamnon is located 150 km north of Izmir, 100 miles south Ayvalık. The town is Bergama. It is one of the oldest historical site in Turkey. It has the steepest amphitheatre in the world, based on 35 degree slope.

Pamukkale Cotton Castle Guide

Pamuk cotton means in Turkish and Kale fortress, the name means Cotton fortress. The white waterfall is in fact much like a huge castle cotton. At one point visitors could climb the whole "travertine" or collected pools of mineral water, but because the government has blocked climbing and is thus saved the white slope of a further deterioration.


At the top of the hill, there were various resorts and hotels were closed goverement rules. It's Swin Cleopatra's swimingpool (30 new Turkish lira pp) has the hot, bubbly water (it has been described as swimming in a rather warm champagne). If your eyes open underwater world, the minerals in the water are supposedly good for the eyes.

Pamukkale (correct spelling) is a World Heritage Site. The white travertinese forms when hot spring high concenrated of CaCO3 evaporated and deposites in the surface.There are some man-made travertine, visitors can walk through the left upper part of the mountain to the experience. The actual travertine are now off limits, but can be easily viewed from many different angles and are usually only 10 to 20 meters away. In 2005, there are significant construction (almost done), which will allow visitors better ways (handicap accessible) and seating to the travertine.

Many hiking and cruising altitude. You need your shoes to walk in the water. Do not forget Heriopolis adjacent to the ancient Roman city and its cemetery, which is a part of this site and the anphitheatre. You can easily spend a day here.

The site is also close to a confluence of the rivers for you hunters. There are many ruins on the site called the Hierapolis and grave yards (necropolis) everywhere.

Olympos Antalya Guide

This is a backpacker destination offers a lot of fun, the hostel lifestyle in a tree house environment (that's right - the area has a number of Pansyons built rooms on the trees before the court backpacking traveller) and wonderful to walk the ancient ruins Olympos. The beach is long the curve ends at a castle ruins, you can discover - beyond there are a few hills hiking trails, to discover more.

There are organized excursions to see the old "Chimera" eternal flame or on the side of the hill in the night, and it is sometimes done in a tractor trailer towed! However, there are steep hills on foot to the side. The natural gas seepage on the surface burns, if you lit a match. It is a ruin of a church in the place where the people are the same gas for cooking ...




Olympos is a great place to relax or celebrate, depending on the pansyon you decide to participate in - and two meals are usually in the accommodation price (which is per person), so that the costs are really quite minimal - it was because you drink all your money away (this is not entirely unlikely, in many cases).

Turkish newspaper reports that a massive fire destroyed Kadirs tree houses, that was one of the most popular destination Packer back in the area.
Although the fire was put in a few hours, nearly 90 percent of the tree houses were lost during the fire, reported the Anatolia news agency. Kadir's Tree Houses comprised 100 bungalows 15 huts and 10 dormitory rooms, mostly in treetops in the national park.

Ramazan Kaya, brother of the resort is the owner Kadir Kaya, there was some consolation in the fact that nobody was hurt during the incident, but that 90 percent of the city was lost. "I hope we can rebuild the facilities for the new season," he said.

Adiyaman Nemrut Mountain Guide

Nemrut Mountain is located south of Malatya (75 km) north of Kahta (50km), Adıyaman SE in Turkey. The statues were in 1881 by Kral Sester, a German archaeologist. In 1987, Nemrut Mountain, a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and immediately after the area was declared a national park by the Turkish Ministry of Forest.

In the cone shape of this summit 2200m high mountain can be statues mythical figures of Apollo, Zeus, Hercules and others. The statues stare at you silenty more than 2000 years. More statues on the western side, as the east side. The altar is located on the east side. These statues were carved around 63 BC during the reign of Antiochus-I, the emperor of the Commagene king. Here you can ask around the cone-shaped, a man from Summit, where Antiochus's tumules was the hidded were under the man from limestone dome.

It is amazing to watch the sun sets and the sun is at the summit. However, the sun rise is very cold, make sure that thick sleeping bags or blankets from the hotel you stay, even in the hot summer days.

Remember, you just see the sun rise to 2200m (7000ft) increased mountain. In fact, the best way to stay (sleep) on the mountain on the eastern side of the I in 1986 and watch the sun rise to 3. The colors are more than beautiful!.

The best way to travel is the area with the plane to Adıyaman (from Istanbul or Ankara) and take a special tour to Kahta and follow the signs, where you pass the small of Karakus tumulus (one of Antiochus wife), with a view to Nemrut Mountain (as in the picture), the Cendere Bridge (over Kahta River), Eski Kahta Castle, Arsemia, the cities Damlacık, Narince and Karadut (he has a good Kvarner Bay, after the town) and reach the mountain. The good road ends near the edge of the summit, but you have to walk (or rent a mule) 1 km, steep uphill to reach the top, where the statues. While you're there make sure that a loop around the summit and enjoy the view and see more stateus on the north side as well. There are many restaurants on the road (in Damlacık and Karadut) and at the top, no need food or water with you. This is at least a 12 hour tour to enjoy. You can swim in the river Kahta, under the Cendere Bridge (see picture), in July and August (a famous branch of the Euphrates) during the hot summer days.

In the field, the weather is very hot, about 45C during the day time, but very dry, between June to September make sure that the stay in hotels, air-conditon room. If they do not have it stay in the village Karadut Kvarner, 1000m high, with a view to Nemrut Mountain, where you do not need air conditioning.

I worked in the region (1985-1990) as a petroleum geologist for ARCO International Oil and Gas Company and have lots of field work and mapping every corner of the geology of the area and visited all the villages and cities A.. to Z. If you are Nemrut, go before the two oil fields from ARCO discoved that I worked for, is a rigth after the city Damlacık on your right called "Cendere Oil Field" and the other is a very Karadut Village near So-called "Ozan Sungurlu oilfield", both of them are still oil-pumping station.

Mersin Guide

This coast is inhabited since the 7th Millennium BC. Excavations by John Garstang of the hill of Yümüktepe have shown, 23 levels of the crew, the earliest dating from about 6300 BC. A fortress was up to about 4500 BC, but the site seems to have been abandoned between 3200 BC and 1200 BC.

Then the city was part of many countries and cultures, including the Hittites, Assyrians, Greeks, the Macedonians of Alexander the Great, Seleucids, Lagids. While the ancient Greek time, the city bore the name Zephyrion and was by many ancient authors. Apart from its natural harbour and its strategic position along the trade routes of southern Anatolia, the city profited from the trade in molybdenum (white lead) from the neighbouring mines Coreyra. Ancient sources attributed the best molybdenum in the city, which also marked his own coins.

Then the territory of the Roman province of Cilicia, which had its capital, while in Mersin, Tarsus near the main port. The city, whose name was Latinized to Zephyrium, was renamed Hadrianopolis for Emperor Hadrian.

The Roman Empire divided and this area fell in the second half was of Byzantium (later Constantinople), which became the centre of the trade in this part of the world, drawing investment and trade, and caused Mersin to lose their luster.

The city was soon Christianized, and was to see a bishop. Le Quien (Oriens Christ., II, 883) behalf of four bishops of Zephyrium: Aerius, on the Council of Constantinople in 381; Zenobius, Nestorian, in the Second Council of Constantinople in 432 - 434; Hypatius, to the Council of Chalcedon in 451, and Peter, at the Council meeting in Trullo in the 692nd The city remains a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church, Zephyriensis, which was shown vacant since 1966. [1]

Then came the Arabs, Egyptian Tulunids, Seljuk Turks, Mongols, Crusaders, Armenians, Mamluks, Anatolian beyliks, and finally the city was conquered by the Ottomans at the 1473rd

During the American Civil War, the region has become an important supplier of cotton to the high demand due to the shortage. Railroads have been extended to 1866 in Mersin, where cotton was exported by sea, and the city developed into an important commercial centre. By 1900 the Catholic Encyclopedia reports from the city of 14000 people, of which 3000 were from the ethnic Greeks, Armenians 1000 and 650 Roman Catholics, and the remaining approximately 10000 inhabitants were probably Muslim. The Roman Catholic parish of Mersin was Capuchin, there were Sisters of St. Joseph of the appearance; schools for boys and girls, and hospitals.

In Mersin 1918 was occupied by the French and British troops in accordance with the Treaty of Sevrès. It was released by the Turkish army in 1920. In 1924, Mersin, a province, and in 1933, İçel provinces of Mersin and were joined to the (larger Mersin) İçel province.

Until the 1970s Mersin had a population of 300000 and a stylish atmosphere, with cars parading under palm trees. The sea was all orchards of oranges and lemons, ideal for a quiet walk, and you could play on the beach. The heart of this tree-lined Bourgois, the establishment of confectioneries along Flamingo Yolu, a name that evokes nostalgia among those who lived through the 60s and 70s.

But the great expansion and migration from other parts of Turkey, especially further east in the 80s and 90s has completely changed. Now the sea is lined with huge concrete buildings there are no beaches, and the orange trees were dug. And further from the city, where there were one or two areas of the coast apartments now there are hundreds and hundreds. No one will ever know what archaeological treasures were drawn away from the bulldozers in the same time. This destruction has gone greedy and are still without effective control by local authorities, also has not succeeded in infrastructure (roads, sewerage, sewage treatment plants, etc.) to cope with the large population who came to the coast.

Mersin today

Today Mersin is a great city spreading out along the coast, with Turkey the second tallest skyscrapers, large hotels, an opera house, expensive real estate near the sea or up in the hills and many other modern urban amenities, although there is still nothing like the long-established culture and night life of Istanbul and Izmir, Mersin is a small and quiet place.

The community is now trying to save the sea with sidewalks, parks and statues, and there are still palms on the streets, where mainly the young generation to stop, as in the cafes and pastry shops of smart districts as Pozcu or Çamlıbel. It is established neighbourhoods, where many well-known shops and restaurants with long experience and reputation to protect. The center is a maze of narrow lanes and arcades of small shops and cafes, with young people around sums in scooters. The old town near the fish market to find the stalls sell tantuni liver and grilled sandwiches.

One of the most striking features of the city as a whole is the solar heating panels, they are everywhere, in every building.

Demography

Mersin experienced immigration from the south-east of the country during the 1980s and 1990s in a period of unrest in these areas. He now has a significant Kurdish community coexist with the Turkish majority. [2] [3] The city was in the centre of inter-ethnic clashes during the 2005 Newroz celebrations in which two Kurdish boys were arrested after a fire on Turkish flag in the streets. This sparked a huge response across the country, flags were on buildings, cars, anywhere culminated in a parade through the streets with a Turkish flag 1 km long. [4]
Kitchen

The local cuisine includes: Kebab course, but especially the hot sandwich of grilled meat wrapped in flat bread called tantuni the bumbar homemade sausage, carrot helva (cezerye); karsambaç (a kind of ice slush); kunefe a baked cheese pastry (known throughout south-east Turkey, including Mersin) and kerebiç, semolina porridge, especially in Ramadan, and many other local soups and stews. The traditional drink of this corner of Turkey, including Mersin, is şalgam suyu (the water used to pickle beets).

Economy

The port is the mainstay of the economy Mersin. There are 23 pillars, total port area of 786000 sq metres (194 hectares), with a capacity of 3800 vessels per year.

In addition to the harbour is Mersin Free Zone founded in 1986, the first free zone in Turkey, with warehouses, shops, assembly-disassembly, maintenance and engineering workshops, banking and insurance, packing packing, marking and exhibition facilities. The zone is a publicly owned center for foreign investors, in the vicinity of major markets in the (Middle East, North Africa, Eastern and Western Europe, Russia and Central Asia. The trade volume of free zone was USD 1.6 billion in 2002 .

Mersin has highway connections to the north and east, and is also on the southern railway. Adana airport is 69 km (43 miles).

60% of the male population and 16% of the female population is employed. Unemployment is at 22.7%

Mersin port is an international hub for many routes to European vessels countries.Its now PSA.

Mersin University

Mersin University was founded in 1992 and started teaching in 1993-1994, with 11 faculties, 6 schools and 9 vocational schools. The University has over 10 thousand graduates, extended his current teaching staff to more than 100 academics, registration and 18000 students.

Culture

Because the city was a crossroads for centuries the local culture is a medley of cultures. Mersin is a State Opera and Ballet, the fourth in Turkey after Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara. Mersin International Music Festival was founded in 2001 and is held every October. The association Mersin photography photographer Derneği (MFD), is one of the most popular and active cultural organizations in the city. It is a small museum in the city centre. The municipal cemetery is interesting how people of all faiths and denominations can be buried here.

To swim in clean water, you must get out of the city, perhaps one hour along the coast. The beach in Kızkalesi is popular with families, while young people prefer Akyar or quieter coves along the coast, some of which are in fact very attractive.