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Mersin is
the major commercial city
and shipping port
on Turkey's eastern Mediterranean
coast (map), but not a major
tourist destination.
Mersin (MEHR-seen,
population 1.5 million) is the
capital of the province of Içel,
and the major port for shipments
to and
from the Turkish Republic
of Northern Cyprus (maps).
It
has good hotels—even a Hilton—so
you can stay here comfortably enough.
If you do, have a look at the space-age Great
Mosque (Ulu Cami) on
the main square of Customhouse
Square (Gümrük
Meydani), an unusually modern
place of worship in this land slavishly
devoted to the great age of Ottoman
architecture.
Also
peek into the Atatürk
House (Atatürk
Evi, closed Sunday), a stone
house used by Kemal
Atatürk on his
visits; and the small museum (closed
Monday).
Mersin
is easy to reach by bus,
being a major transport point. The highway from
Mersin east to Adana and Osmaniye is
four lanes.
Trains run
along the coast to Tarsus, Adana and Iskenderun,
and the daily Çukurova
Express between Ankara and Adana stops
at Yenice, east of Mersin. More...
There
are also trains
between Mersin and Aleppo (Halep, Halab) Syria. More...
Ferries cross
the water between Mersin and Magusa (Famagusta)
in northern Cyprus several
days each week carrying cars and
passengers (buy your tickets at least
a day in advance).
The
nearest airport is
50 km (31 miles) east at Adana.
Maps
of Mersin, Tarsus & Mediterranean
Turkey
Distances & Travel
Times
Adana: 55
km (34 miles) E, 45 minutes
Alanya: 385
km (239 miles) W, 7 hours
Anamur: 260
km (162 miles) W, 4.5 hours
Ankara: 490
km (305 miles) NW, 9 hours
Antakya: 245
km (152 miles) SE, 3.75 hours
Iskenderun: 177
km (110 miles) SE, 3.25 hours
Istanbul: 932
km (579 miles) NW, 15 hours
Osmaniye: 130 km (81 miles)
E, 1.75 hour
Silifke: 100
km (62 miles) W, 1.5 hours
Tarsus: 23
km (14 miles) E, 20 minutes
Mediterranean
Turkey
Southeastern
Turkey
Where
to Go
Turkey
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