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Anamur, the southernmost
town between Antalya and Adana on
Turkey's Mediterranean
coast, is worth a stop and perhaps
even an overnight.
It has an impressive fortress,
uncrowded beaches,
and a Byzantine ghost
town.
The Fortress of Mamure,
7 km (4.5 miles) east of the town of
Anamur, was built by the Romans,
expanded by the Crusaders, and is still
impressive.
The beach, with a
selection of hotels and pensions, is
at Iskele ("Dock"), southeast
of the town center.
The Byzantine ghost
town of Anamurium,
5 km (3 miles) west of the town center,
is an eerie place of semi-ruined
stone buildings--churches, public
baths, shops, a theater, a stadium,
a necropolis (cemetery).
Anamurium was founded
by the Phoenicians,
flourished under the Romans,
but was sacked by the Arabs in
the 600s and never recovered. Its very
forlorn-ness preserved it: no one wanted
to live here, which is why it has been
preserved.
Bus is
the only public transport serving Anamur.
If you're driving the
coast from Antalya to Adana,
it makes sense to stop for
the night in Anamur. It's
smaller and more easily negotiable
than Alanya, with more congenial lodgings
than Silifke or Mersin.
(although Kizkalesi,
near Silifke, is another congenial
possibility for an overnight stop.)
Distances & Travel Times
Adana: 305
km (190 miles) E, 6 hours
Ankara: 800
km (497 miles) N, 13 hours
Alanya: 135
km (84 miles) NW, 2.5 hours
Antalya: 250
km (155 miles) W, 4 hours
Istanbul: 975
km (606 miles) NW, 16 hours
Konya: 455
km (283 miles) N, 8 hours
Side: 198
km (123 miles) NW, 1.25 hours
Silifke: 140
km (87 miles) E, 2.5 hours
Ürgüp
(Cappadocia): 735 km (457
miles) NE, 11 hours
Mediterranean
Turkey
Where
to Go
Turkey
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