Mersin - İçel
Mersin - Naval Monument
Like many cities in Turkey Mersin has
changed its official name. The official name now is İçel,
but apparently everybody is sticking with the old name Mersin. Mersin with
a population of about 750,000 is the capital of the province of İçel
and is a sprawling modern city built half a century ago. It is Anatolia's
main port, close to Adana and its rich agricultural hinterland.
For us Mersin was a pleasant stop point
on our way from Antakya to Tarsus and Kızkalesi
with a charming city centre along the pedestrianised Atatürk Caddesi and a
broad boulevard along the waterfront. We stayed two nights at the Hotel Gökhan
at Soğuksu (Cold Water) Caddesi 20 (Tel.
+90-(0)324/231
6256). for about 17
EURO for a large, actually huge, single with air-con and TV (forget Lonely
Planet's minibar). Close to the hotel are some fish restaurants of
which the Balıkçı
Yaşar Fish Restaurant serves portions of small
fish. The çiğ köfte sold by an elder man in the street proved
to be not only safe but also delicious.
Click on the thumbnails to get a greater picture
