Tourism

Adana, a modern-day city located on the right bank of the Seyhan River in the Cilician plain, was a caravan stop, river crossing, and frontier outpost protecting Asia Minor from incursions from Syria. (Tarsus was closer to the Cilician Gate.) The history of Adana is mixed with that of Tarsus; they and guarded the western front against surprise attack.

Adana, now one of the large towns of Asia Minor, about nineteen miles from the sea, derives its importance from its situation as the gateway to the Cilician plain, that great flat stretch of fertile land, possibly the most productive in this part of the world, (on east side of Taurus Mtns). In Adana all the houses are flat-topped and the roofs serve as the bedrooms for the inhabitants during the hot summers. Adana was more important for it’s agriculture while Tarsus was the metropolis of the area. Several types of fruit are native to this area, the apricot being an example.

From Adana, crossing the Cilician plain going west, the road from Tarsus enters the foothills of the Taurus Mountains. With every foot of ascent the coolness increases, reaching an altitude of nearly 4000 feet. Then through the famous Cilician Gates, that rocky pass through which armies have coursed since history’s dawn, and the caravan has arrived on the Anatolian plain.

Adana in the next to each civilization its own cultural diversity as a cultural mozaiğioluşturmuştur transfer. Hittites, Romans, Arabs, Seljuk, Ramazanoğulları, Ottomans, and the nomad tribe of Turkmen culture of the region has contributed to diversification. Especially 19th and 20 concentration of settlements in the plain of Adana for centuries in agriculture and industry big leap of that the region has created major changes in the culture.

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Sightseeing
• Taşköprü (Stone Bridge), built in part during the 6th century reign of the Byzantine emperor Justinianus I.
• Yılanlı Kale (Snakes Castle), the ruins of a castle dating from 782.
• Büyük Saat Kulesi (The Great Clock Tower), a large clock tower that was built by the local governor of Adana in 1882. Unfortunately, it was damaged during the French occupation, but it was rebuilt in 1935, and its image can be found in the city’s coat of arms. There are many historical buildings and tombs of local governors next to the Büyük Saat.
• Kazancılar Çarşısı (Bazaar of Kazancilar), founded around the Büyük Saat, where the Çarşı Hamamı (Turkish Bath of the Bazaar), a Turkish bath built in 1519, can be found.
• Bebekli Kilise (Saint Paul Catholic Church) is an old Catholic church located in the city center. There are many historic houses in the street where the church is located.
• Seyhan Dam
• Tuzla Bird HeavenOne of the biggest natural bird park carries thousands of different birds.
• Carreta Carreta Park Seashore between Karatas and Yumurtalık..
• Sevgi Adası (Love Island)
• Tepebag Historical Houses
• Central Park
• Ramazanoğlu Palace
• Adana Aquapark
• Ethnographical Museum of Adana
• The Archaeological Museum of Adana
• Varda (German) Bridge, a historic railway bridge in Karaisalı, which is a district of Adana. The railway bridge is at the vicinity of the Hacıkırı village. It was built in 1903 by the Germans, so people also call it the German Bridge.
Mosques
• The Sabancı Mosque.
• Ulu Cami
• Yeni Cami (New Mosque)
• Adana Yağ Camii (Old Catholic Church)
• Sabancı Merkez Cami (Central Mosque)
• Alemdar Mescidi
• Şeyh Zülfi Mescidi
• Kızıldağ Ramazanoğlu Mosque
• Hasan Aga Camii (16th Century Wooden Architeched constructed without nails)
Museums
• Adana Ethnography Museum
• Adana Archaeological Museum
• Adana Atatürk Museum
• Misis Mosaic Museum

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Stone Bridge
Practically nothing remains of ancient Adana. All that it has to show is the 310m/340yds long Stone Bridge (Tas Köprü) over the Seyhan. Frequently destroyed and restored in the course of its history, the bridge preserves fourteen of its original 21 arches, including one (at the western end) which is believed to date from the time of the Emperor Hadrian (117-38).

Archeological Museum
The Archeological Museum in Adana contains a fine collection of prehistoric pottery from Cilicia, some Hittite items and interesting Turkish ethnographic material.

Ulu Cami
Enclosed within a high wall in the center of the town stands Adana’s most interesting medieval building, the 16th century Ulu Cami (Great Mosque) with its medrese (theological college), türbe (tomb) and dersane (Koranic school). The main entrance is on the east side. Also on this side is a minaret (1507-08) with polygonal shaft, blind arcading and roofed gallery reminiscent of Syrian models. Along the north side runs a triple arcade of pointed arches, off which the various rooms of the medrese open. The türbe, with Syrian-style decoration, is faced with Ottoman tiles from Iznik. On the west side are the dersane and a gatehouse with a conical dome.

Karatepe
Along the Osmaniye road beyond the Toprakkale Pass, a side turning branches off on the left to Karatepe (Black Hill), some 28km/17mi north on the right bank of the Ceyhan Nehri. Excavated from 1949 onwards, the site has been extensively restored.

Karatepe was the walled stronghold of an eighth century Hittite ruler called Azitawadda. The two main gates, on the north and south sides, are flanked by massive sphinxes while reliefs on the sills depict various gods, battle and hunting scenes, a ship with oarsmen, etc. There are two parallel inscriptions, one in Hittite hieroglyphic script, the other in Phoenician; these proved a valuable starting point for deciphering the hieroglyphic script. Little survives of the buildings within the town.

Anavarza / Anazarbus
Beside the Sumbas Cayi, near the village of Anavarza in Upper Çukurova, to the east of the Ceyhan-Kozan road, lie the easily recognized walled ruins of Anazarbus, at one time the minor capital of Lesser Armenia. Perched dizzily on an isolated crag some 200m/650ft directly above the town (and reached by steps from near the theater) are extensive remains of the fortress (upper and lower fort). In addition to the ancient main street other town ruins include a Roman stadium, a theater, an aqueduct, several churches and a fine gate to the south. The local open-air museum (situated away from the site itself, in the center of the village) has some famous mosaics from the third century.

Founded in the first century B.C Anazarbus was a Romano-Byzantine town. In the 12th century, after numerous disputes with Byzantium and with the aid of the Crusaders, it passed to Lesser Armenia, the principal capital of which was Sis (Sisium/Kozan). Although from 1199 onwards the Armenian princes styled themselves kings, they were always forced, in the final resort, to acknowledge Byzantine supremacy. While close links between the royal house and the Mongols preserved Anazarbus from destruction, in 1297 a Mongol prince had 40 Armenian noblemen, together with Hetum their king, murdered at a banquet in the town.

Hierapolis / Kastabala
5km/3mi beyond the village of Yenice on the road from Osmaniya to Karatepe stand the ruins of Hieropolis (Kastabala). Between 52 B.C. and 17 B.C. this Cilician town became the center of an independent principality under Tarcondimotus I. Rome (under Augustus) then restored its influence by making Tarcondimotus II, the new king, Governor of Cilicia in Anazarbus.

Misis (Mopsuestia)
Eastwards from Adana the road to Iskenderun crosses the Cilician Plain (Çukurova), to arrive after about 25km/15mi at Misis (Yakapinar), the site of ancient Mopsuestia. The town extends on both banks of the Ceyhan, here spanned by a nine-arched Roman bridge. The main feature of interest in Misis is the Mosaic Museum, erected over the mosaic pavement of a small church, the latter having presumably been destroyed during the Arab incursions of the eighth century. The mosaics, built up from pieces of variously colored stone and glass, date from the time of Bishop Theodore (fourth century)

Toprakkale Pass / Toprakkale
About 27km/17mi east of Ceyhan the road to Iskenderun branches off to the right over the Toprakkale Pass. Describing Darius’ march along this route through the foothills of Mount Amanos and the Misis Hills, the second century historian Arrian refers to the 2km/1.25mi-long defile between sheer rock walls 40-50m/130-165ft high as the Amanian Gates (Amaniae Pylae). Just off the Osmaniye road to the north, on a steep-sided basaltic cone some 76m/250ft high, are the conspicuous remains of a medieval settlement, possibly built on the site of ancient Augusta.

Snake’s Castle
(Local Name: Yilanlikale) About 11km/7mi east of Misis, on the steep southern bank of the Ceyhan, a figure of the Hittite king Muwatalli (1315-1282 B.C.) can be seen carved into a smooth rock face rising above the river. On the top of a steep-sided crag on the north bank stands Yilanlikale (”Snake’s Castle”), an Armenian stronghold and Crusader castle of the 12th century. According to legend it was the residence of Sheikh Meran, half man, half snake, who was killed in the baths at Tarsus while seeking to carry off the king’s daughter.

Hemite Kalesi
From Sakarcali (on the Ceyhan, 30km/19mi south of Kadirli) a track follows the river to Hamide and, 70m/330ft above the village, the medieval Armenian castle of Amuda. In 1212 the Lesser Armenian King Leon I handed over the fortress with its massive keep and large courtyard to the Knights of the German Order. They built the tower, continuing in occupation (at Akkon’s behest) until about 1291 (no later). Down at river level below the south side of the fortress can be seen the poorly preserved remains of a Hittite rock relief. Carved in the 13th century B.C. it shows a warrior armed with a bow and lance.

Yumurtalık
The main road from Adana continues from Yilanlikale to the chief town of the district Ceyhan (a short distance off the road to the right), some 35km/22mi south of which, on the Gulf of Iskenderun, lies the little port of Yumurtalik (previously called Ayas). In Marco Polo’s time it was known as Layaze and was once the chief port of Lesser Armenia In addition to being a seaside resort popular with the local people, it is now the terminus of two oil pipelines from Iraq.

Kozan
Kozan (70km/43mi northwest of Adana) occupies the site of ancient Sisium and in the 19th century was still known as Sis. The fort, on a hill-top southwest of the town, dates from the Byzantine period. The Armenian victory over Manuel I Comnenus (1143-1180) led in 1199 to the establishment of the kingdom of Lesser Armenia, of which Sis became the capital. By 1375 however, shortly after the coronation of the last king, Leon V, it fell to the Mamelukes. Despite the schism in the Church (1441), Sis remained the center of the Armenian Church until shortly after the First World War, the Catholicos of Sis being determined to preserve the status of his seat. Eventually, in 1921, increasing Islamic repression forced the head of the Armenian Church to flee the town, the patriarchate being transferred to Beirut. In the 19th century. Sis also became the capital of the Kozanogullari, leaders of a large nomadic tribe forcibly resettled there from Cevdet Pasa.

DISTRICT IN HISTORY

SEYHAN:

Mound Tepebağ: Location is the biggest tumulus.

Taşköprü: 117-138 meters long, in yaptırılmıştır.Şehir merkezindedir.319.

Baby with the Church: Saint Paul is a Catholic church.

Were made in 1880-1890.

Clock Tower: 1881′de was built.

Bedesten: Ramazanoğulları by the 16th yy. it was built.

Ulu Mosque: It was built in 1541 by Ramazanoğulları.

Oil Mosque: In 1501 when the church was converted into a mosque.

Yeni Mosque: It was built in 1724.

Kemeraltı Mosque: It was built in 1599.

Akça Mosque (Ağca Mosque) was built in 1489.

Çarşı Bath: It was built in 1529.
River Bath: It was built on an old Roman bath.

Send Gate Inn: Adana is a side by side with Arasta. Today is only birkapı.

Bahri Pasha Fountain: 1890′da and reconstruction work is done in the same nedeniylekaldırılan fountain was built in 1993 again.

Ramazanoğlu Mansion and Harem office: It was built in 1489.

Hasanağa Mosque (Hasan Kethüda) was built in 1558.

ALADAĞ: Akören Castle
Castle Ruins and Mazılık
Postyağbasan Castle
3 Church

CEYHAN:
Kurtkulağı Kervansarayı: 1711′de were made.
Yılankale: Church and cisterns have also referred to as the castle is a castle sahmeran.
Ulu Mosque: 1868′de were made.
Sirkeli Höyüğü: Tepebağ’dan the region is the largest burial mound.
Muradiye Mosque: It was built between the years 1912-1720.
Durhasan Tomb: It was built between the years 1717-1720.
Dumlu Castle: Assyrian, Persian, Roman ruins are found.

FEKE:
Feke Castle: It was built by Byzantine 12.yüzyılda is thought.

KARAISALI:
Milva Castle: Karakılıç is located near the village.

KARATAŞ:
Burns Church (Karakilise Remnant): The Romans were made by.
Ancient Magarsus Church: Romans were made in the period.
Range of the ruins of Khan: It was built in 1782 by the Ottomans.
Date of the remains of Han: The Ottomans in 1608 has done.
Amplifier Theater: Roman remains are the ruins of the theater.

KOZAN:
Kozan Castle: It was done by Assyrians.
Bucak Castle: Medieval period was done.
Hoşkadem Mosque: Kölemen the Sultan of Egypt was built in 1448 by Abdullah Hoşkadem.
Remnant Pelesel Monastery: It was built by the Armenians.
The ruins of the castle and Anavarza: BC 9. yy. Were made by the Assyrians. Roman remains of two aqueducts, theaters, palaces, temples, baths ruins, rock tombs, and cisterns are frenkslerle decorated mezarlarkilise.

POZANTI:
Red bastion: It was built by the Egyptian Ibrahim Pasha.
Ak redoubt: It was built by the Egyptian Ibrahim Pasha.
Yakarpınar bridge: the bridge is the oldest of the region.
Anaşka Castle: Muslims and Arabs by the “Russian-NUS-Sekaribu” he is known.

SAİMBEYLİ:
Saimbeyli Castle: Medieval to do is. “Black Church” is called.

TUFANBEYLİ:

Şar Ruins: History was in the center of the Hittites.
Amplifier Theater: Roman is staying.
Remnant Church: Byzantine to stay.
The relief of the rock: the Hittites were made by the people.

YUMURTALIK:

Ayas Castle
Solomon Tower
Markopolo Pier
Yüreğir (Misis, Mopsuhestia) a settlement as the first and ortaçağda important work as the old bridge and Yüreğir and local burial mound, where the mosaic and aqueducts, bath and caravanserai are available.