MERSiN - Turkey

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Mersin (Also known as İçel/Icel)

Mersin is one of the most modern provinces of the palmlined avenues, city park and modern hotels region and a good base for visiting the nearby historical sites and beaches. Mersin which is the largest port on the Turkish Mediterranean. There is also free zone here. It is a business centre. In Mersin you may find all the comforts of a modern city and all the characteristics of the Mediterranean cities. Fish is as well as most delicious in this region and in the Mersin fish market you will find inexpensive fish restaurants which are really enjoyable for those who love fish and "Raki" or wine. Although Mersin dates only from the 19th century, it occupies an extremly ancient site. At Mount Yumuktepe the excavations proved that there had been twelve successive settlements beginning from the Neolithic Period.

Icel also has hunting, fishing, picnicking, mountaineering and caving attractions.

History

Formerly MERSINA, city and seaport, south-central Turkey. It lies along the Mediterranean Sea at the extreme western end of the Cilician Plain, 40 miles (65 km) west-southwest of Adana.

A town of recent origin, Mersin stands near the site of an unidentified ancient settlement. The ruins of the Roman harbour town of Soli-Pompeiopolis lie immediately to the west. Excavations in a mound called Yümük Tepesi, 2 miles (3 km) north of the modern harbour, indicate settlements in the remote Neolithic (New Stone Age) Period: a village was fortified there as early as c. 3600 BC and again during the Old Hittite (c. 1750-1460 BC) and New Hittite (c. 1460-1200 BC) empires but was abandoned after the foundation of Pompeiopolis.

Mersin's artificial harbour is an outlet for the agricultural products and minerals of the Cilician Plain and southeastern Anatolia. The site was chosen because of its silt-free location and its rail and road connections with the interior. A branch line links Mersin with Adana and the Istanbul-Baghdad railway. The port is connected by ferry to Cyprus. Mersin is the site of one of Turkey's largest oil refineries. Pop. (1980 prelim.) 216,308.







Some street level...

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Mertek Tower - Height 177 m

Talles hotel in Turkey, and the tallest all-hotel building in the Middle East outside of Dubai. (Used to be the tallest bld. of Turkey)

[Kuvvaci]

Nice job my friend. I have never been to Mersin, but according to the pictures ariel view looks like Athens...

[Allan]

Mersin looks handsome.

[Kuvvaci]

YES...

[Genç]

Mersin is a wonderful-looking city...I hope to visit some day...

[oakland_PA]

would love to see some night shots as well especially of that park

thanks guys

[ZOHAR]

nice city...that's resort city?

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By saying resort city, do you mean a vacation city like Antalya?

No Mersin is not a holiday city, it is an industry and business city. Also it has some sort of free tax or low tax industrial/business zones, which makes city vibrant in those areas.

[Kuvvaci]

Mersin is Candidate for 2013 Medditerranean Games...

[Joya]

That's just the right thing to give a boost to a city which is resting in shadows of Adana and Antalya

[gm2263]

One of the most beautiful Turkish cities, hands down. Lost its crown as the tallest Turkish city when IsBankasi tower 1 was completed in Istanbul. However, the shape of the Mercin Metropol Hotel (is this the name or has it changed?) signifies one of the most notable tall buildings in this part of the workd - (i.e. the Balkans and Asia Minor), I came close to say middle east but unfortunately for all of us, the Emirates have started to take off architecturally and only buildings like the Diamond of Istanbul and the rest of the projects above 200m may make a difference there.

Still though from what I know the Metropol must be #2 in Turkey, standing between IsBankasi and Teskstilkent towers.

Interesting though, our cities present some somilarities in their modern architectures due to the use of concrete and glass, with height being some times the only differentiating element.

[Thump]

Mersin is now added to my list of places to visit next year.
Mersin has always been recommended to me but I have never seen.
Thanks for the pix..........

[meow]

this city has been quite underrated for a long time then

[zektor]

Mersin is oficially no longer called Icel. It's MERSIN only.

[Allan]

it makes sense, since everyone calls it Mersin.

[Allan]

Originally Posted by gm2263

One of the most beautiful Turkish cities, hands down. Lost its crown as the tallest Turkish city when IsBankasi tower 1 was completed in Istanbul. However, the shape of the Mercin Metropol Hotel (is this the name or has it changed?) signifies one of the most notable tall buildings in this part of the workd - (i.e. the Balkans and Asia Minor), I came close to say middle east but unfortunately for all of us, the Emirates have started to take off architecturally and only buildings like the Diamond of Istanbul and the rest of the projects above 200m may make a difference there.

Still though from what I know the Metropol must be #2 in Turkey, standing between IsBankasi and Teskstilkent towers.

Interesting though, our cities present some somilarities in their modern architectures due to the use of concrete and glass, with height being some times the only differentiating element.

Hi gm, i have been to Mersin a few times. You are right, the Mersin Merit Tower or whatever it is called is very notable structure, however it is highly doubtful that Mersin is one of the most beautiful cities in Turkey. It lacks the beauty, history and soul that other Turkish cities like Antalya, Kayseri, Konya, Antalya have in common.(at least IMHO)

[gm2263]

This is probably because many Turkish (and Greek for that matter) cities have been built very fast to accomodate various needs that have risen from the sudden economic development for the last 30 years.

I will agree that Mersin is not Istanbul, or Izmir but, I can see that the mayor has been very active during those last years. I mean, ugly buildings or lack of history (compare it to Ankara which has been there as a settlement since 3000 years ago) cannot be a burden if the mayor has the will to transform the city. After all, seaside cities are by nature blessed with an advantage over landlocked ones.

This Mersin Metropol or Merit building though... Remarkable. I mean, why would they build such a tall building there instead of another city like Istanbul or Izmir?

[Istanbullu]

I also agree that the mayor of Mersin is working hard...

[meow]

Originally Posted by zektor

Mersin is oficially no longer called Icel. It's MERSIN only.

i thought İçel was the province and Mersin was the city, just like Kocaeli is the province and İzmit is the city