Erdemli
Encyclopedia
Erdemli is a town and district of Mersin Province
in the Mediterranean
region of Turkey
, 35 km (22 mi) west of the city of Mersin
.
where there is forest, and then a large area (half the land area of the district) is high mountain above the treeline.
Erdemli is a quiet rural district where the people are conservative, and is traditionally a stronghold of Turkish nationalist politicians; however some departments of Mersin University
are opening branches here which will surely have an effect on the cultural and social life of Erdemli in the future. There is no industry except some hand-weaving of rugs so the local economy depends on agriculture. The coastal plain is covered with citrus fruits, bananas, and all kinds of fruits and vegetables grown year-round in open fields or in greenhouses. High meadows in the mountains are planted with grain pulses and fruits such as apples, peaches, and cherries. At these altitudes there are also vineyards, olive groves, and fig trees.
This is an attractive forested coastal district, and Erdemli is now attracting investment in infrastructure to develop a tourist industry.
The coast is home to the endangered Mediterranean Monk Seal
. The Middle East Technical University
in Ankara
has an Institute of Marine Sciences
graduate school here, which has a biology group that monitors the seals.
and there are many more remains from antiquity in the area.
Mersin Province
The Mersin Province is a province in southern Turkey, on the Mediterranean coast between Antalya and Adana. The provincial capital is the city of Mersin and the other major town is Tarsus, birthplace of St Paul...
in the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Region, Turkey
The Mediterranean Region is one of Turkey's seven census-defined geographical regions . It is bordered by the Aegean Region to the west, the Central Anatolia Region to the north, the Eastern Anatolia Region to the northeast, the Southeastern Anatolia Region to the east, Syria to the southeast, and...
region of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, 35 km (22 mi) west of the city of Mersin
Mersin
-Mersin today:Today, Mersin is a large city spreading out along the coast, with Turkey's second tallest skyscraper , huge hotels, an opera house, expensive real estate near the sea or up in the hills, and many other modern urban...
.
Geography
The district extends from the Mediterranean coastal plain, the largest agricultural area in Mersin Province, to high in the Taurus MountainsTaurus Mountains
Taurus Mountains are a mountain complex in southern Turkey, dividing the Mediterranean coastal region of southern Turkey from the central Anatolian Plateau. The system extends along a curve from Lake Eğirdir in the west to the upper reaches of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the east...
where there is forest, and then a large area (half the land area of the district) is high mountain above the treeline.
Erdemli is a quiet rural district where the people are conservative, and is traditionally a stronghold of Turkish nationalist politicians; however some departments of Mersin University
Mersin University
Mersin University is a state university, built in 1992 in Mersin province, Turkey. The university has about 25,000 students, 1,405 academic staff and a number of foreign and guest academic staff....
are opening branches here which will surely have an effect on the cultural and social life of Erdemli in the future. There is no industry except some hand-weaving of rugs so the local economy depends on agriculture. The coastal plain is covered with citrus fruits, bananas, and all kinds of fruits and vegetables grown year-round in open fields or in greenhouses. High meadows in the mountains are planted with grain pulses and fruits such as apples, peaches, and cherries. At these altitudes there are also vineyards, olive groves, and fig trees.
This is an attractive forested coastal district, and Erdemli is now attracting investment in infrastructure to develop a tourist industry.
The coast is home to the endangered Mediterranean Monk Seal
Mediterranean Monk Seal
The Mediterranean monk seal is a pinniped belonging to the Phocidae family. At some 450-510 remaining individuals, it is believed to be the world's second-rarest pinniped , and one of the most endangered mammals in the world.It is present in parts of the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern Atlantic...
. The Middle East Technical University
Middle East Technical University
Middle East Technical University is a public technical university located in Ankara, Turkey...
in Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
has an Institute of Marine Sciences
Institute of Marine Sciences
The Institute of Marine Sciences focuses on marine science-related education and research. IMS was founded in 1975 on the Erdemli Campus at METU in Erdemli / Mersin. Institute’s campus at Erdemli, houses laboratories, office buildings, computing and remote sensing facilities, a library, an...
graduate school here, which has a biology group that monitors the seals.
Places of interest
- Akkale (in the modern village of Tırtar)- the ruins of a large ByzantineByzantineByzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
building, possibly a palace, with baths, a water tank and large tank for storing olive oil. - İmirzeli - the ruins of an ancient city with traces of Hellenistic, Ancient Roman and ByzantineByzantineByzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
architecture including a church, a tower, water storage and houses. - Çatıören - a Hellenistic city with temple of HermesHermesHermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
and necropolis. - Öküzlü - the foundations of an ancient city, with a basilica, water tanks and monumental stones.
- CorycusCorycusCorycus was an ancient city in Cilicia Trachaea, Anatolia, located at the mouth of the river called Şeytan deresi; the site is now occupied by the town of Kızkalesi , Mersin Province, Turkey.-The city:...
and KızkalesiKızkalesiKızkalesi is a town in Mersin Province, Turkey. The town, known in Antiquity as Corycus or Korykos , is named after the ancient castle built on a small island just facing the town.- Geography :...
- Findings in the necropolis inform us that the city of CorycusCorycusCorycus was an ancient city in Cilicia Trachaea, Anatolia, located at the mouth of the river called Şeytan deresi; the site is now occupied by the town of Kızkalesi , Mersin Province, Turkey.-The city:...
dates back the 4th century BC, in the 1st century they minted coinage here. The nearby castle of KızkalesiKızkalesiKızkalesi is a town in Mersin Province, Turkey. The town, known in Antiquity as Corycus or Korykos , is named after the ancient castle built on a small island just facing the town.- Geography :...
Ghorgos was built on an island offshore in the 12th century. - Elaiussa SebasteElaiussa SebasteElaiussa Sebaste or Elaeousa Sebaste was an ancient Roman town located from Mersin in the direction of Silifke in Cilicia on the southern coast of Anatolia . Elaiussa, meaning olive, was founded in the 2nd century B.C...
- founded in the 2nd century, but thrived under the Romans and Byzantines,the site includes a necropolis, theatre and waterworks. - Kanytelleis-KanlıdivaneKanlıdivaneKanlıdivane is an ancient city situated around a big sinkhole in Mersin Province, Turkey.- Geography :Kanlıdivane is in the rural area of Erdemli district, which is a part of Mersin Province at . It is to Erdemli and to Mersin. Its altitude is approximatelly...
- occupied since the 3rd century BC, the site includes rock tombs and a Hellenistic period tower.
and there are many more remains from antiquity in the area.