Korykos and
its Castles
The ruins of Korykos
cover a large area on both sides of the motorway. The name of the city comes
from saffron flowers (Crocus
sativus).
The Castle of Korykos
This castle on the shore
is built according to a square plan and it is surrounded by two concentric
walls. There was a moat around the castle and a drawbridge leading to the
entrance. These do not exist today. The Turks also used the castle like the
people who lived here during the Late Hellenistic and Roman period. It has been
restored and repaired many times throughout its long history. Today, the castle
displays the characteristics of medieval architecture.
Kızkalesi
This
castle, which has become the symbol of Mersin, is built on rocks at the sea,
200 meters from the shore. The castle, which has eight towers, is famous for a
folk myth that has been told about it for centuries. Since it has become the
main attraction here with its well preserved walls, impressive structure and
captivating story, those who visit it by boat or just watch it from the shore
neglect most of the time to visit the ruins of the great antique city of
Korykos.
Korykos
was probably a Greek colony. Pirates creating havoc along the shores of the
Mediterranean, forcing people to leave their homes and migrate to safer places
were also threatening the people of Korykos.
Cicero,
the master of oratory and law arrived here as governor of Cilicia in 51 B.C. He
was equally adept in military affairs as his struggle against the pirates
proves.
He
made the two castles, one on land the other at sea, to form a defense system.
When pirates appeared to be heading towards Korykos, a thick chain was hauled
from the castle at sea to the one on land closing the entrance of the harbor.
You
can visit Kızkalesi taking a motorboat from the shore. Those who are brave
enough can try swimming to the castle 200 meters off shore.
Rock
graves are seen on the slopes on the left of the road as you drive from here
towards Mersin.
The Myth of Kızkalesi
There are myths for such castles and
towers built off shore in Turkey, most of the time similar to each other.
The anonymous myth of Kızkalesi goes
like this:
One of the kings ruling the region had
daughter. The girl grew up to be a very beautiful and good-hearted maiden. She
was adored by both her father and the people.
One day a fortune-teller reads in the
girl’s palm that she will die at a young age because a snake will bite her.
Learning about this, her father tries to find ways to save her daughter. Since
the snakes cannot swim, he orders a castle to be built out at sea for her
daughter. The beautiful maiden begins living there. But one day, a snake hiding
in a basket of grapes bites her and she dies.
That is why this castle is still called
the Maiden’s Castle.
Kızkalesi
or the Maiden’s Castle is one of the main tourism centers of the region. The
nature here too exuberantly embellishes what is left from history. The long
beach with its fine sands, crystal clear waters of the sea and its pleasantly
warm climate that allows swimming until October attracts more tourists every
day.
There
are hotels providing good quality service in the region and new investments in
tourism facilities are continuing without break.
There
are scuba diving centers for the fans of underwater sports. These centers both
train people in scuba diving and organize tours for divers.
It
is also possible to join boat tours that will take you to the beautiful coves
along the coastline. These boats even organize nighttime tours during the
nights with full moon.
If
you don’t want the company of strangers, you can hire a boat privately with
your friends and relatives. If you choose, you can spend several nights on
board too.
Adam Kayalar and Şeytan Deresi
(Human Rocks and Devil’s Stream)
When you enter the road leading to Uzuncaburç, from
Kızkalesi and drive for 6 kilometers you will a sign saying “Adam Kayalar” on
your left. If you have already seen the village of Huseyinli, that means you
have missed the turn that would have taken you to this interesting place worth
seeing. The 2-kilometer strip after you leave the main road is rough. It is
full of stones and holes. A car can make it but if you are fussy about your
using your car on such roads, it is advisable that you park it and walk the
rest of the way.
Adam Kayalar literally means Human Rocks. The name
comes from the human figures on a huge rock that looks like a wall. The narrow
path that descends down to the valley where the rock is situated is marked with
arrows painted on stones. Otherwise, it is hard to find this narrow path.
Local people call this canyon Devil’s Stream. It is
very deep and the stream flows at the bottom of the canyon. Rocks rising almost
at right angles in some places are scary.
When
you come to the edge of the canyon you follow the arrows walking down the
pathway. But one has to be extremely careful while going down. Although the
distance is not long, it is a tough walk. Especially, one should avoid doing
this expedition during Mersin’s heat at noontime. Also you should not forget
that you have to climb back the same path that is like a steep staircase. Small
children and senior citizens are advised not to attempt it.
The
descent ends at a flat space on top of a rock on the edge of a precipice. In
front of us there is a huge rock rising like a wall. And the human figures
carved on this rock make us forget our exhaustion. In this canyon, 10
kilometers from the Kızkalesi, we see the amazing composition of human figures.
In ten separate compositions there are 17 human figures, 11 men, 4 women and
two children. There is also the figure of a mountain goat. These figures have
been carved during the 2nd Century A.D. sources say. But there is no
further information.