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Mersin, Turkey
My impression of Mersin is that it is the Miami of Turkey. Palm trees and resorts everywhere, sandy beaches and clear blue water. The difference is that in Mersin you can find ancient Roman ruins lying around and castles and churches built thousands of years ago. Jason and I hired a Turkish taxi driver and a translator/guide, who were friends of friends, to take us there for the day. Since it was the off-season while we were there, we pretty much had the city to ourselves.
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(left) Maiden's Castle (Kiz Kalesi)
consists of two buildings and was built in the 12th century. This building is the Castle By The Sea. Unfortunately, it was closed for the season so we didn't get to go inside.
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| (right) This one is the Castle On The Sea, located on an island. According to the local legend, an ancient king built this castle to house his only daughter after it was predicted that she would die from a snake bite. Despite his efforts to protect her, the prediction came true when a basket of fruit containing a deadly snake was delivered to her by a suitor. |  |
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| (left) Here's me and (right) Umut (our guide), Jason, and Nahir (our driver) at the top of the castle. You can climb all over the castle with no restrictions. In America, this castle would be known as Lawsuit On The Sea. | |
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| The shadow of a castle tower can be seen against the turquoise blue water of the Mediterranean Sea. The word "turquoise" is French for "color of the Turks." |
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The beautiful Med |
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| To get to the Castle on the Sea, we had to take a paddle boat. Here's Umut putting his shoes on for the paddle ride back to shore. |
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