EMRY PROGRAM 2012MERSİN MARİNA

MAY 27th – 30th

A City of Mediterranean

Mersin, the rising star of world tourism, is set on a long coasrline at the eastern of the Mediterranean and ranks as the area least affected by pollution along this sea. Mersin is a city with long beaches, enchanting inlets and the Taurus Mountains rising just behind it.

the plains of this sun-kissed city are resplendent with some of the best lemon and orange groves of Turkey ant ist countless vineyards curl up into the low foothills of the mountains. For four thousand years the local populations of this area have been migrating throughout the Mediterranean area, and this adventure continues to live on even today as the Yörük nomands and their herds hold tightly to their tradition of migrating between the foothills and the summits of the Taurus Mountains.

Mersin is a provincial capital and one of the liverlier cities of Turkey. The slw pace of daily life, typical to the Mediterranean, suddenly gets livelier once you reach Mersin. Market places and shopping districts are lively and bustling at all time of the day.

mersin is a fast-growing city that has managed to allow its industry, agriculture and tourism to coexist. İt is also a port, and the agricultural and indusrial products from the fertile Çukurova plain are exported from Mersin. The port is also Turkey’s entry port for agriculural and indusrial imports.

MERSİN MARİNA

MERSİN MARİNA located at a point where the city meets the sea, is designed as a ‘city port’ and a ‘social living area’.

MERSİN MARİNA has a capacity of 500 boats afloat and 500 boats ashore, it is the largest Marina of Turkey on the Eastern Mediterranean shores. Mersin Marina has a brought a ‘new quality of life’ to Mersin.

•

In additional to diverse social facilities, Mersin Marina offers electricity, fresh water, cable tv, wireless internet, weather forcast, Hydro Lift (100 tons) & Slipway (300 tons), Fuel Station, Repair & Maintenance Work, Restrooms & Showers, Laundry, Supermarket, Marin Shop, Shopping Mall, Bars & Restaurant and a high quality Fitness Center ( Spa, Wellness and Swimmingpool). In short, it will answer all needs with an ‘İnternational quality standart.

23th EAST MEDİTERANEAN YACHT RALLY PROGRAM

27 MAY Arriving Mersin Marina & Coctail 28 MAY Kızkalesi Area Tour & Rally Dinner 29 MAY Free day 30 MAY Mersin Marina Departure

KANLIDİVANE KANYTELLEİS - NEAPOLİS

Kanytelleis (modern Kanlıdivane) is located 50 km northeast of Silifke, in the mountains inland from the coastal highway. This large site was settled in the late 3rd century BC and continued to be occupied into the 11th century AD. Extant remains include the ruins of five churches and a huge Hellenistic tower built about 200 BC by Teukros of Olba. The site is surrounded by cemeteries with sarcophagi and rock-cut tombs.

On a peak in the Kırıkhan area is a sanctuary with fine masonry blocks, some of which bear a torus moulding. This structure, probably Hellenistic in date, must have been a heroon or temple. It was succeeded by a building with rubble walling. There were no finds at all from this area but the pottery from the slopes was mainly Roman, with a few Hellenistic sherds.

Lower down this peak are rock-cut tombs with carved facades. One tomb has five portrait sculptures under a pedimented aedicula and another has a sculpture of a woman standing in a niche or doorway.

A second area investigated was a plateau at the foot of the mountains. Occupation here was connected with metalworking and was especially dense in the Roman period. There was a major population rise in the area during the Roman period

KANLIDİVANE KANYTELLEİS - NEAPOLİS

CENNET CEHENNEMThe Caves of Heaven and Hell

The Caves of Heaven and Hell (Cennet ve Cehennem), near Kizkalesi on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, are worth a visit as natural phenomena, and also as historical points of interest.

As you approach the caves along the access road from the Mediterranean coastal highway, you'll see the lofty walls of a huge Temple of Zeus erected here in homage to the king of the gods who features prominently in the ancient myths related to the caves.

Park you car near the temple, make sure you're provided with a bottle of liquid to drink, enter the archeological site, and descend the 288 steps to the Byzantine chapel in the cave's mouth.

Look upon it as a nature walk: old trees, birdsong, seasonal flowers. The air cools as you go down along the mostly shady path to the great mouth of the cave, where the air is really cool and damp.

In the cool, damp atmosphere of the cave mouth, the rough stone steps can be slippery. Walk with care. If you are injured, it will take time for help to arrive.

Another 70 steps take you down to a flat area below the chapel, where it's blissfully cool, and a table and a few chairs provide a place to rest.

Yet another 97 steps and you are down into the cave itself, with enough natural and artificial light that you can walk without a flashlight/torch.

CENNET CEHENNEMThe Caves of Heaven and Hell

Heading up and out of the cave is daunting: over 400 steps to the rim! The restaurant there provides good cold drinks, snacks and light meals, and a shady, breezy place to sit and recover. The Cavern of Hell (Cehennem) , 100 meters uphill from Heaven, is a smaller depression with steeper sides, 30 meters in diameter and 120 meters deep. Luckily, its walls are too steep to allow access, so you can't descend into it (in other words, you can't Go To Hell).Of course, the two caves figure prominently in ancient Greek myths, according to which Typhon, a fire-breathing 100-headed dragon, battles Zeus, king of the gods. Zeus is defeated and imprisoned in these chasms. Hermes and Pan rescue Zeus, who goes after Typhon again, defeats him and buries him in the earth, but Typhon's fire-breath issues from the earth as what we know as Mt Etna, the active volcano in Italy.

Kızkalesi Maiden’s Castle

Maiden Castle (Kızkalesi) or as it used to be called Korykos, is a small town situated 60 km west of Mersin. The town attracts visitors’ attention with its climate, beautiful sight, wide beaches and clean sea. Today this coastal town can be regarded as one of the hidden treasures of the Mediterranean with its nature and historical value.

It is known less than the Blue Lagoon (Fethiye) and it’s surrounding which is accepted as the most beautiful place of Turkey. Compared with the regions that tourist attraction is dense, everything here is more peaceful and calm. It is very much suitable for families with its wide beaches. Around the town there are many archeological sites to visit. You can also attend tours from Maiden Castle to Cappadoccia and legendary Nemrut Mountain. Also Petrus Church in Antakya (The second biggest mosaic museum in the world), Saint Paul well in Anamur is close by.

Maiden Castle (Kizkalesi) had its name 85 years before. The legend that has been told by the local residents caused this name to be given.

According to Herrodotus this city was founded by the prince of Cyprus, Korykos. When Syrian King Antonious the second, in 197 BC counquered Eygpt’s coasts again, for the first time this city’s name is mentioned. Roman authors Livius, Pilinius, Cicero and the governer of Tarsus of those times mentioned Korykos in their works. In Byzantium time, in other words in 5. and 6. century the city had its glorious times. In 1361 it was counquered by Lusignen from Cyprus and later in 1448 was conquered by The Sultan of Karaman Ibrahim. After this, the city was embodied to Ottoman Empire in 1482.

Kızkalesi Maiden’s Castle

There are two medieval castles in the city, Korykos Castle and Maiden Castle. Korykos castle is on the tip of a peninsula. It consists of two forts. In the internal courtyard you can see the small churches and long aisle. The construction of the castle was started by Romans and after five phases it was completed by Cypriots. Maidencastle was built on a small island 200 mt far away from the seashore. You can see under the sea the remnants of the connection bridge from the seashore to Korykos.

Kızkalesi Maiden’s Castle

Shortly with the holiday you will make in Maiden Castle via daily tours you will have the chance to visit: Kanlıdivane, Paradise and Hell Caves, Narli Well (It is famous for its cold clean sea and delicious fish restaurants on the bay), in Silifke; Silifke Castle, Uzuncaburc, Silifke Museum, Ayatekla Church, and the historical sites nearby. If you like from Silifke, Tasucu you can go to Cyprus and add different colors to your holiday. Also among the places you can visit daily we can add Aydincik, Ovacik and Anamur, Anamurium and Anamur Castle that have clean and virgin bays.