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The eastern Mediterranean town
of Silifke is at
the junction of the coastal highway
and the road north up to Turkey's Anatolian plateau. It's
also the place to catch a ferry
to northern Cyprus.
Founded by Seleucus I Nicator (one
of Alexander
the Great's generals) in the 3rd
century BC, Silifke (see-LEEF-kee,
pop. 60,000) has a few interesting
historic sights, such as the Byzantine fortress commanding
the town from a hilltop; the Tekir
Ambari, an ancient stone cistern;
ruins of the Roman Temple
of Jupiter; a small Archeological
Museum; and two mosques, the Great
Mosque (Ulu Cami) with foundations
from Seljuk
Turkish times, and the Resadiye
Mosque, built by the Ottomans using
columns recycled from the Temple of
Jupiter.
Silifke has a few low-budget
hotels and restaurants,
but nearby Kizkalesi has
a better, brighter selection and
overall is probably a better
place to stay the night.
Bus and minibus traffic
between Silifke and Adana (via Kizkalesi, Mersin and Tarsus)
is fast and furious all
day, making it easy to travel the eastern
coast by public transport.
About 5 km (3 miles) from Silifke's otogar (bus
station) is the Cave of St
Thecla (Ayatekla). A young
virgin from Iconium (Konya),
Thecla overheard St. Paul preaching
in her neighbor's house and converted to
Christianity. Persecuted for
her beliefs, she triumphed and was
revered by the Byzantines,
who built a splendid church above
the cave where she allegedly sought
shelter from her persecutors. The church
is now in ruins, but the cave beneath
is a place of pilgrimage for
Christians.
Fast ferries to Girne
(Kyrenia) in northern Cyprus depart
from the Silifke suburb of Tasucu (TAHSH-oo-joo),
11 km (7 miles) west of Silifke's otogar
(bus station).
Distances & Travel Times
Adana: 155
km (96 miles) NE, 2.75 hours
Alanya: 285
km (177 miles) W, 5.25 hours
Anamur: 160
km (100 miles) W, 3.5 hours
Ankara: 510
km (317 miles) NW, 8 hours
Antakya: 345
km (214 miles) SE, 5 hours
Iskenderun: 277
km (172 miles) SE, 4.5 hours
Kizkalesi: 26
km (16 miles) NE, 25 minutes
Mersin: 100
km (62 miles) NE, 1.5 hours
Maps
of Mediterranean Turkey
Mediterranean
Turkey
Southeastern
Turkey
Where
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