47 replies to this topic

[Yellowcatt]

I moved to Mersin a couple of years ago and am not yet aware of any other English people living there.
Mersin seems to have escaped the notice of most in the UK, I suppose the lack of direct flights does put people off.

Here is a video that was produced as part of Mersin's bid to host the 2013 Mediterranean Games



The games are going to be held in Mersin so that should bring a few people in.

[Vic801]

What is Mersin like? All our Turkish friends here in Cappadocia wax lyrical about weekend breaks in Mersin but I always thought it was because it is the nearest bit of sea to Cappadocia.

[Abi]

Wish we did have more members where you are yellowcatt, It's somewhere I've always want to go to as it looks so interesting. Always happy to read more things about the place.

[sunny]

Great video Yellowcatt. thanks for sharing it with us. I'm sure there must be some expats there. Years ago I met a girl who had married a Turkish man and they were living in Mersin.
Ask at the local English language dershanes, some might be working or have worked there.

[Yellowcatt]

The best seaside is to the west of the city, we are in Mezitli a few minutes walk from the sea, my sister in law has an apartment right on the coast, this is the view from her living room.


In the city you have the port of Mersin then the harbour with fishing boats and the restaurant boats which are good for a cheap fish dinner.


West from the harbour is a park spread out along the coast up to the new marina.
The park has several restaurants and tea rooms as well as a number of play areas for children.





I will have to sort out some more photos to post.

[Vic801]

Thank you Yellowcatf for posting that video, Mersin definitely looks like a great place to be - I'll have to start planning for my weekend away this year!

[Abi]

Thanks for the photo's and look forward to seeing more Your sister in law has a lovely view and the beach looks really nice:)

[Yellowcatt]

The west side of the city and the area beyond are the best. When you take the airport bus from Adana you get taken through the industrial area on the east of the city. We are a bit over an hours drive from Silifke which has a magnificent castle on a hill above the town and is close to many sites of interest like Chasms of Heaven and Hell and the Maiden's Castle.

Looking down on Silifke from the castle.

Silifke Castle

Maidens Castle

Near the bottom of Chasm of Heaven, looking up.

[sunny]

I went down to Heaven's hollow in December but it nearly killed me climbing back up all those steps. the board said 455 (or around that) but if you go down into the cave it makes it a lot more than that.
It was very interesting though and the Astma caves about a mile or so up the road were extremely impressive.

[Yellowcatt]

"I went down to Heaven's hollow in December but it nearly killed me climbing back up all those steps."
I know what you mean, I am not thinnest of people and walking up those steps last summer in 38°C heat was to say the least a bit trying.
My wife said that the 'heaven' name must be a joke as it was hell climbing back up.

[sunny]

Ha ha, that's exactly what I said.

[swabs]

Wow yellow cat, great pictures and information!! I will be going to mersin later on in the year after our wedding to see some of Haluks family that live their so looking forward to venturing into some of these places xx

[lindylou]

Yellowcatt.

Thanks for your video of Mersins 2013 Med Games,looks a wonderful event for the young athletes of to-day.Your pics are fabulous Yellowcatt.One day i'll venture thru there,that's for sure!!!

Lindy Lou

[Yellowcatt]

I will try and post some more pictures soon.
At the moment we are getting lots of rain so not really ideal conditions for taking new photos.
Our cat Kaplan is very unimpressd with us for allowing the rain to continue so long.

Our appartment also decided that now was a good time to have the carpark re-surfaced.


I am sure that it will be better when it is finished but at the moment it is a muddy mess.

[Abi]

haha know how your cat feels, mind you it is snowing here in Cesme but not settling thank goodness and makes a change from the rain. Your latest pictures are great, and I'm sure your car park will look lovely, well if it ever stops raining long enough for them to finish..

[Yellowcatt]

Here are some photos I took last year of the Roman site Soli-Pompeiopolis which is walking distance up the road from us in Mezitli:




This site is having some restoration work done.

[Abi]

I was reading an article recently written about the work they were doing there link and was amazed to read the the place was occupied in the bronze Age.

[Yellowcatt]

Aparently Yumuktepe, also in Mersin is neolithic.

"Excavations during 1936-1938 period by British archaeologist John Garstang (1876–1956) who is the founder of British Institute at Ankara,^[1] have revealed a neolithic settlement which continued up to medieval ages.....
There are 23 levels of occupation dating from ca 6300 BC. In his book named Prehistoric Mersin Garstang lists the tools unearthed in the excavations . The earliest tools are made of either stone or ceramic."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yumuktepe

I must try and visit that.

[sunny]

Your cat might not like the rain but he's obviously very interested in computers. When I first glanced at the pile of stones ready for resurfacing, I thought that the car behind them had knocked a wall down.

What a fantastic country. Every time you scratch the surface another ancient site pops up.

[Yellowcatt]

I got some new software for making panoramas bundled with some other software that I bought. Just been playing with it, this is my first attempt at a full 360degree panorama:

http://youvr.com/sho...omimageType=mov  This link is not working

That is the small park near our apartment.
Will have to think of other subjects to shoot now.