Adana İlimizin İngilizce Anlatımı

ADANA

Adana is one of the most prominent cities of Ancient Cilicia in the and has been the cradle of many civilizations that have passed between the Hittites and the Ottomans throughout history. It is fourth large region in the Turkish Republic at present in population. It is rumored that the city is derived from Adanus or Adonis, the son of greek god of skies according to Greek Myths.

The city has been built by the Seyhan River, that is born in the Taurus mountains, travels over the plain meandering in wide circles and flows into the Mediterranean sea. Adana is located at aspot where there is a passage accross the river is easy. The Tepebag tumulus discovered in the Tepebag district that is right in the middle of Adana, points to the fact that there were very early settlements in the region and the history of its first inhabitants go back to the Neolithic period in 6000 BC when human beings first began settled life.

When Adana was the Capital city of the Kizzuwatna Kingdom in the years about 1350 BC it was added to the Hittite Federation and it was consequently taken over by the Assyrians in the 9th century BC, then by Iran in the 7 th century BC. During the year 333 BC Adana region was occupied by the armies of Alexander the Great, coming under the Macedonian rule after the battle of Isas in the east of Adana. After the death of Alexander the Great the region was invaded by Selevekos Kingdom. In the 1st century BC the region was made a province of Roman Empire, the famous orator Cicero was the Governor of Adana Province in that first century. In the following years the region became one of the most prominent trade centers of Eastern Roman Empire.

In the centuries that followed the region was invaded and occupied by many different nations such as : Sasanis during 260 AC, Byzantium in the 5th century AC, Abbasis in the 8th century AC, re-conquered by Byzantium in the 10th century AC, Seljuk Empire in the 11th century AC, Armenians in the 12th century AC, Memluks in the 14th century AC after which date it remained under the rules of the Turks.
The Turks that came to the region from the Middle Asia during the reign of Memluks were the pioneers that helped establish a new civilization on these fertile lands with ample water resources. They called Pyramos River Ceyhan and Sarus river as Seyhan.

The Ramazanogullari Kingdom was founded in the Adana region in 1352 and the reign of this dynasty continued till 1517. At this date Yavuz Sultan Selim on his way to war with Egypt took Adana and made it a part of the Ottoman Empire. The region was later visited by the following Ottoman Sultans : Sultan Suleiman the Law-Maker in 1535 on his military expedition to the East, Sultan Murad the 4th, on his Baghdad campaign in 1638, İbrahim Pasha, the son of the Governor of Egypt, who had rebelled against Ottoman rule came to Adana region with his armies in 1833.

<b>THE TOURISM POTENTIAL OF THE REGION</b>

Adana with its prominent position as the eighth largest economy of the country, the agricultural, industrial, commercial and cultural center of the Southern Turkey together with its historical monuments, warm sunny days, and its seacosts has a great deal of attraction for the tourists. Adana has been a suitable place for human settlement ever since the early ages of history. Cukurova is filled with monuments and works of art carrying traces of the civilizations that have lived in the region. Since some of these works of art are far from the beaten track, it is rather difficult for tourists to visit them. On the other hand, open museums and ruins such as anavarza, Yılankale, Toprakkale, Ayas, Karatepe have regular roads connecting them to the mainstream.

The attarctions of the region are not only the ruins, castles, ancient tumulus sites and the remains of important cities. The Taurus Mountains that surround the Cukurova like a wall have great potential with their natural beauty, with their suitibility for winter sports and hunting. The fact that the region is in a location where two contrasting climates meet is another factor that can enhance the attractions of the area. During the summer months people who want to escape the high temperatures can either go up to the cooler plains in the Taurus Mountains or go to the seashore for a swim at the Karatas and Yumurtalik coast.

Adana region has the advantage of being close to the many archeological sites on the Mediterranean coastline. The sea long coastline between Antalya and İskenderun is rich with archeological sites, ancient monuments, beautiful seashores, sandy beaches and sunny climate. Tourists who wish to visit Hatay, Nigde, Nevsehir, Urgup, Goreme ( Cappadocia) stay overnight at adana on their way to these cities. There are quite a few hotels in yumurtalik, Karatas and Tuzla districts of the region and these facilities will add to the tourism potential of the region.

Adana is situated at the crossroads of airways, highways and railway connecting the countries of the Middle East with Turkey and because of this factor the region has dense transit touristic traffic.

<b>NATURAL BEAUTY</b>

Adana is one of the most attaractive cities in Southern Turkey with its natural beauty, its avenues lined up with palm, eucalyptus and mimosa trees, summer tea gardens and parks and has a high potential for domestic and foreign tourism. The Seyhan Dam lake and vicinity and the Saricam woods are two areas of natural beauty that the inhabitants prefer for picnics on holidays. Because that the summers are very hot usually, some of the inhabitants move up to the slopes and plains in the Taurus Mountains.

Some of the spots of natural beauty visited by the inhabitants of Adana are :

KAPIZ: It is an area of great natural beauty about 35 km from the city center and at 13 km west of Karaisalı. Surrounded by the pine forests and the wonderful view of summits of the mountains, it is incomparable. The Cakit spring that flows down from the Taurus Mountains is an added bonus.

KARSANTI AND ENVIRONMENT :There are many spots of natural beauty on the road between Adana and Karaisalı. Among them Eyner Village attracts the interes of many people. One can see many wild animals while travelling on this road. During the summer months the camping sites in the area attract the families and during the hunting season the hunters. Karsanti with its cool climate and fresh air is the ideal place for vacations in the summer. In the small streams that are the branches of Seyhan, extensive trout fishing is done. The famous Post forests are also in this district.

KOZAN-SAİMBEYLİ: The road between Kozan-Feke-Saimbeyli which is in the North-South direction goes through thick forest land. On this road there are many recreational areas and drinkable water fountains where people stop over for a rest and drink. The Dagilcak excursion spot near Kozan is also on this road.

YERKÖPRÜ : This is a very beautiful site about 12 km from Karaisali, that has been built beside the exact spot where the Cakit Spring goes underground and then emerges forming a waterfall. It is a unique recreational area.

BURUCEK AND TEKİR PLAINS :These high plains are at 100 km distance from the city center. There are camping areas in these plains that are ssurrounded by forests and they are suitable for camping tourism. Burucek Plain has extraordinary scenery during the winter also. Besides these there are recreational areas and camping facilities within the forests in the Karatas, Saricam, Kozan-Dagilcak, Feke, Karacaoglan and Saimbeyli-Obruk districts in the Adana region.

<b>MUSEUMS IN ADANA</b>

REGIONAL MUSEUM OF ARCHEOLOGY : The Archeological Museum has been built in 1924, on the e-5 Auto-Route at central Adana. In this museum all archeological finds from Adana, Cukurova and Anthic Cilicia are exhibited. Besides the historical remains from Cukurova, excavations at Kahraman Maras, Gaziantep, Mersin Yumuktepe, Tarsus Gozlukule and Misis are also evaluated here and exhibited in this museum, that is why it is truly regional museum. The Museum has moved to its present building in the year 1972.

ETHNOGRAPHIC MUSEUM : This museum is located at the Kurukopru district of central Adana in a church that was built in 1845 and later abandoned. Its first location was the Mosque of Cafer Pasha and its Monastery and when these buildings collapsedthe church was restored and turned into a museum. Ethnographic works of art belonging to the turcoman clans that live in the Cukurova district and stone edifices of Islamic origin are exhibited in this museum.

ADANA ATATURK MUSEUM : It is located in the historical Tepebag, the old city center of adana, in one of the traditional Adana houses built in the 19th century. It is a two-story house made of local stone, with typical ornamentalbalconies and slanting roof. Because of its characteristic it has been taken under the “Cultural Unmovable Entity Worthy of Protection” program by the Ministry of Culture. In this house that belonged to Suphi Pasha coming from the Ramazanogullari family, mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Trepublic and his wife Lady Latife have stayed overnight on March 15th 1923. the building later has been made public property by the Atatürk Science and Culture Museum Club with the invaluable aid of Army Commander of that time, Bedrettin Demirel. It was then restored with the assistance of the general public and opened to visitors in the year 1981.

ULU CAMI : This mosque had been built in 1507 by Halil Bey, during the reign of Ramazanogullari Kingdom. It has been enlarged in 1541 with the construction of an additional building. The tomb of Halil bey is in the Ulu Cami. The mosque has been built of cut stone; there is a monumental portal ornamented with a series of arabic caligraphy and niches designed as seashells. Its octagon shaped minaret is amvery interesting characteristic of the period.

<b>IMPORTANT HISTORICAL MONUMENTS IN ADANA</b>

TASKOPRU (STONE BRIDGE) : There are various opinions on the date of construction of this stone bridge that is a Roman masterpiece built over the Seyhan river. According to the Gerekce inscriptions in the Adana Museum, this bridge has been constructed by the architect named Auxenthus in the 4th century BC. The 1500 year old stone bridge has 21 arches, but because 7 of these arches have been buried under the earth during the reclamation of the Seyhan river, you can only see the 14 remaining arches. There is a twin of this bridge in Rome.

RAMAZOGULLARI THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL: The Ramazanogullari Medrese built in the year 1540 has the typical architecture plan of Ottoman Theological Schools. There is a large archway in the entrance, a courtyard in the middle and the alcoves and cells.

RAMAZANOGULLARI MANSION : this stately mansion has been built by Halil bey in the year 1495. The men’s quarters from where the government affairs were conducted and the harem where family and the women lived are still intact. There is also an ornamnetal pool in the terrace at the top floor.

BUYUKSAAT KULESI : (The big Clock Tower) : The Clock Tower is on the Ali Munif Yegenaga Avenue in adana. The construction of the tower has begun in the times of Governer Ziya Pasha in 1881, but with his death the building has been completed by the new Governor, Abidin Pasha in 1882. The tower that is 32 meters high is made of cut stone blocks.

OLD ADANA DISTRICT AND HOUSES : The oldest districts in the city of Adana, with their present day names are ; Sariyakup, Alidede, Tepebag and Turkocagi districts. There are Yag Mosque (1501), Hasanaga Mosque (1558) and Alidede Mosque (1704) on the east side of these districts. On the west side there is the ırmak Public bath (1600) and Alemdar Mosque (1748), on the north there is the Agca Prayer Room (1409), Kemeralti Mosque (1915), Yesil Prayer Room (1753) and Taskopru (Stone Bridge) Old Adana houses have mostly collapsed but about 169 old houses are inhabited at present. These houses have the characteristic of both the old Turkish and Mediterranean house, in fact they are a synthesis of both styles. The eaves of the houses are wide, with bow windows and small balconies in the front, the windows are rectangular with wooden shutters and they have arched doorways.
YAG (OLD) MOSQUE : This was an old Church known as the Saint Jacques, left from the times of the Crusades. It was converted into a mosque by Ramazanoglu Halil Bey in 1501 by some additions to its structure. The mosque has a simple structure, its portals are monumental like the Crown Doorway, with low arches and ornamented with Arabic caligraphy.

HASANAGA MOSQUE : It is situated in the Alidede district behind the Yag mosque. It has been built in the year 1558. The plans for this mosque are said to be made by the famous architect Mimar Sinan. It is built of cut stone and it has a dome. The entrance door is wood, ornamneted with beautiful designs and the prayer vault is designed with black and white marble. It is really worth seeing.

BEBEKLI KILISE ( BEBEKLI CHURCH) : ıt has been built during the years 1880-1890 and its real name is Saint Paul. At the top of this church there is a 2.5 meter high bronze statute of Mother Mary. Religious ceremony is held at this church every day between 18.00-19.00 hours and this is another example of the respect shown by the Turkish nation towards Christianity and other beliefs.

MISIS (MOPSUHESTIA) REMAINS : Misis that is on the historical silk road beside the Ceyhan River (Pyramos) is the second passageway built after Adana. The history of Misis begins with the Tumulus on which it is located, probably the Neolithic period of 6000 BC. It is rumored that the town of Misis was built by Mopsus, one of the heroes of the Trojan Wars. In later periods it has been conquered by Hittitites, Assyrians, Macedonians and Selevkos and it has been an important center during the Roman and Byzantian rule. After the 8th centurt AC it has been re-constructed and people have settled there. It has been the scene of many battles. After 1517 it was taken over the Ottoman Empire. The remaining monuments and works of art are : Mosaics from 4th century AC, Stone Bridge with 9 arches, the walls and the remains of a town in the Acropol, the Havraniye Caravanserai built in 1542 and the cubic style prayer house with the single dome built in 1648.

MOSAICS MUSEUM: Cukurova is also famous for the mosaics left from the early roman period that have great artistic value. In Misi there is a mosaic scenery depicting Noah and the animals in his Ark in the floor of the Roman Basilica built in the 4th century AC. These mosaics have been converted into an open-air museum. There are other mosaics in Imamoglu-Koyunevi, Kozan-Ferhatli and the anavarza mosaics of Thetis that are not yet open to visits.

YILANKALE (SNAKE CASTLE) : This is one of the castles built by the Crusaders in the Middle Ages during the 11th century on the road to Antakya ( Antiochia). This road that goes over the Taurus Mountains was very important during the Ottoman period as well as in the period of antiquity. The Snake Castle has been located in a high viewpoint so that other castles in the plain could be observed. The Castle has 8 round towers and a main entrance door on the South. From the entrance stone steps go up to the terraces, the garrison of the castle is at the very top. There is a church and a cistern within the castle grounds. The old name of the castle was Govara but Evliya Celebi (Famous Ottoman Wanderer)who visited the area in 1671 calls it the Sahmeran Castle, describing the snakes that lived there as animals with horns and hairy necks. This is where the folk story of Sahmeran (half snake-half human) (En büyük netbilgini.net bebeğim)(En büyük netbilgini.net bebeğim)(En büyük netbilgini.net bebeğim) its origins.

TOPRAKKALE : It is believed that the castle was built in the 4th century BC by the selefkos Kings. The Castle was repaired and re-built in 786 by Harun Rashid with black stones. It has been used a a garrison for a while during the ottoman rule. The Toprakkale has a rectangular design plan and there are 12 towers in the castle. It is a great pleasure to watch the plains and the sunset from the towers of this castle.

ANAVARZA RUINS : The date when the antique city of anavarza was first built is not known, but it is known that it has become the capital city of Cilicia in the year 408 BC. Starting with the 8th century AC it has changed hands many times and for a while it has served as the capital city of armenian Princedom. There is the Anavarza Castle built over a hill rising from one side of the old town is the central castle among others in the plain. Of the remains in the site the walls, vault of victory, the columns, the old road and the pools ornamneted with mosaics are some art works that attract the interest of visitors.

YUMURTALIK7AYAS (Aegeae) RUINS : yumurtalik is one of the two most beautiful seaside towns of Adana. The date when the ayas/Aegeae town was first built is not definitely known. During the Hellenistic Period, the seaside town was famous for its Temple of Asclepion, like Bergamon, boasting of having one of the three such Temples in the world. Ayas that continued to develop during the Roman Period became one of the most important seaports in eastern Mediterranean in the Middle Ages. Merchants from Venice an genoa formed colonies around the Ayas harbor. The famous traveler Marco Polo on his way to China has disembarked at this seaport in 1268, having come so far by boat and on his return trip on land he again reached ayas and (En büyük netbilgini.net bebeğim)(En büyük netbilgini.net bebeğim)(En büyük netbilgini.net bebeğim) on board his ship from here.

Yumurtalik was taken over by the Turkish Memluk Kingdom in 1337 and later become one of the prominent towns and seaports of the Ramazanogullari Princedom. The works of art that were found in the ancient Aegeae town near Yumurtalik has been assembled in front of the town Public Administration Office and thus an open-air museum has been established. Yumurtalik town is an unexplored treasure of historical monuments and arts with the additional monuments of Ayas and Atlas Castles (11th century AC), the three-storey Observation Tower constructed in the reign of the Ottoman sultan Suleiman the Law-Maker in 1536, the city walls, the Ottoman and Roman Baths.

KARATAS-MAGARSUS RUINS : Magarsus ruins are situated in the Dortdirekli district of Karatas, ehich is a seaside town of Adana. The Temples of Magarsus, especially the Temple where Alexander the Great is rumored to have prayed were very famous during the age of Antiquity. Unfortunately nothing much has been left intact in the Magarsus Ruins; there are some city walls lining up the seashore, some architectual edifices and remains of the amphitheatre and city stadium that attract the interest of visitors.

TUFANBEYLİ / SAR (KOMANA) RUINS : These ruins are located at Sarkoy, a village that is at a distance of 210 km to Adana in the Taurus Mountains. The Sar, then known by the name of komana, was an important religious center during the times of the Hittitites. In the Sar Ruins that is on the historical road to Kayseri-Malatya, the ruins that have survived belong to the Roman Period. The Church door known as the Ala Kapi, the Kirik Church and antique remains of architectual works and its theatre are worth visiting.

CEYHAN / SIRKELİ MUVATTALI RELİEF : This relief has been cut onto a piece of massive rock beside the Ceyhan River, near the village of Sirkeli, on the old road between Misis-Ceyhan. There has been extensive excavation work done in the Sirkeli Tumulus near this rock. The first excavations in the area were conducted by the archeologist Professor dr. Garstrang from USA in the year 1938 and the excavations have been resumed after the year 1992. This area was considered sacred by the Hittitites because the Hittitite Emperor Mutavalli visited rthis place on his way to the famous Kadesh Battle with the Pharoh Ramses of Egypt. The Mutavalli relief created to commentorate this occasion is the oldest Hittitite relief in Anatolia.

ALADAG / AKOREN RUINS : The ruins in the Akoren village of the Aladag town situated on the Taurus Mountains is anewly discovered ruin. In this area that consisted of two seperate districts, 4 churches, remains of ancient buildings and streets have been found during the recent research in the area. When the inscriptions that were found were examined it was understood that this wa a town used as a cool summer resort since the ancient Roman times.

KOZAN (SIS) CASTLE : This castle is located in the Kozan town center. It had been built by the assyrians. The castle was later repaired and restored and used by the Romans and Armenians. The circumference of the castle is about 6 kilometers and it has four towers. In the lower parts of the castle there are rooms reached by steep steps, where food and ammunition was stored. There are inscriptions written on the castle walls in the assyrian, Persian, Roman and Armenian languages. Sis Castle is one of the most impressive monuments situated in urban centers in Adana.

<b>POSSIBILITIES FOR ALTERNATIVE TOURISM</b>

Cave and Canyon Tourism : The Bigbigi Cave in Aladağ with its many spots of great natural beauty is suitable for cave tourism. The valley formed by Göksu River in Feke is suitable for Canyon Tourism.

Trekking : There is quite a number of trekking routes in the Taurus mountains but the most important route that is ready for trekking is the route that begins from Pozanti/Hamidiye and ends at Egni springs.

Religious Tourism : The areas suitable for religious tourism in the region are: Bebekli Church at Adana city center, Kale Church in Saimbeyli, ancient church and remains of the town in Sar, Akören Church in Aladağ

Hunting Tourism : Good areas for both mountain climbing and hunting sports are the forest and hils of the Taurus Mountains that surround the north and east of Adana region.

Business Congress and Conference Tourism : Adana region and its city center is very convinient for business seminars, conferences and Congress meetings with the Baghdad railway, TEM international highway, its international airport, its two harbours, pipe line, prestigious university.

Lake and Water Sports : Another potential area of tourism in our region is lake and water sports that can be organized in the lakes of its various dams. Lakes such as Seyhan Dam Lake, Aslantaş, Çatalan, Yedigöz dams are already in condition suitable for utilization in the fiealds of recration and water sports. Construction work on creating parks and green areas for public use are well under way on the shores of Seyhan River where it passes through the city of Adana. Besides this work on the construction of the largest artificial lake in Turkey for recretional purposes in continuing.

Winter Sprots Tourism : Kızıldağ plains in Karaisalı and Karafil Mountains in Pozantı are very suitable for camping and winter sports such as skiing.

Sea and Yacht Tourism : The seaside towns of our region such as Yumurtalık and Karataş provide unlimited opportunities for sea and yacht tourism. These two seaside towns have great potential with their high quality beaches and sunny climate. When the existing fisherman’s shelters are converted into marinas for yachts the area will acquire a new function and image. With the conversion of the two buildings near the shelters to centers suitable for services to the yacht men these two towns will become an important meeting point for the yacht owners in Eastern Mediterranean.

Eco Tourism : The ecology of our region is rich and varied. About 40% of the Mediterranean coastline in our region consists of sand dunes, marshland and areas covered by reed. The coast between the borders of İçel and Hatay regions that belong to the Adana region is 118 kilometers long; about 47 kilometers of this coastline has the above mentioned natural structure. Some of the most important of these areas that carry great ecological value are; Tuzla and Akyatan lakes formed by the Seyhan River and the Akyayan lake formed by the Ceyhan River and the Yumurtalık natural fishing enclosure in these areas rare species of birds, sea and land animals find shelter and reproduce themselves.