Silifke is a municipality and

district A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

of Mersin Province, Turkey. Its area is 2,692 km², and its population is 132,665 (2022). It is west of the city of

Mersin Mersin () is a large city and port on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast of Mediterranean Region, Turkey, southern Turkey. It is the provincial capital of the Mersin Province (formerly İçel). It is made up of four district governorates ...

, on the west end of the

Çukurova Çukurova (), or the Cilician Plain (''Cilicia Pedias'' in antiquity), is a large fertile plain in the Cilicia region of southern Anatolia. The plain covers the easternmost areas of Mersin Province, southern and central Adana Province, western Os ...

plain. Silifke lies on the

Göksu River The Göksu River (), known in classical antiquity, antiquity as the Calycadnus and in the Middle Ages as the Saleph, is a river on the Taşeli, Taşeli Plateau in southern Turkey. Its two sources arise in the Taurus Mountains—the northern in t ...

, the ancient Calycadnus, near its outlet into the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

. The river flows from the nearby

Taurus Mountains The Taurus Mountains (Turkish language, Turkish: ''Toros Dağları'' or ''Toroslar,'' Greek language, Greek'':'' Ταύρος) are a mountain range, mountain complex in southern Turkey, separating the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coastal reg ...

and the city is surrounded by attractive countryside along its banks.

Names

Turkish Turkish may refer to: * Something related to Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities in the former Ottoman Empire * The w ...

() derives from

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

''Seléfkeia'' (, ), the late medieval and modern form of

ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

''Seleúkeia'' (; ), named for its founder

Seleucus I Nicator Seleucus I Nicator (; Ancient Greek, Greek: Σέλευκος Νικάτωρ, ''Séleukos Nikátōr'', "Seleucus the Victorious"; ) was a Ancient Macedonians, Macedonian Greek general, officer and successor of Alexander the Great who went on to fo ...

king King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

of the

Seleucid Empire The Seleucid Empire ( ) was a Greek state in West Asia during the Hellenistic period. It was founded in 312 BC by the Macedonian general Seleucus I Nicator, following the division of the Macedonian Empire founded by Alexander the Great ...

. It was distinguished from the many other places of that name as Seleucia on the Calycadnus (), Seleucia in

Cilicia Cilicia () is a geographical region in southern Anatolia, extending inland from the northeastern coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. Cilicia has a population ranging over six million, concentrated mostly at the Cilician plain (). The region inclu ...

, Seleucia in

Isauria Isauria ( or ; ), in ancient geography, is a rugged, isolated district in the interior of Asia Minor, of very different extent at different periods, but generally covering what is now the district of Bozkır and its surroundings in the Konya P ...

, Seleucia

Trachea The trachea (: tracheae or tracheas), also known as the windpipe, is a cartilaginous tube that connects the larynx to the bronchi of the lungs, allowing the passage of air, and so is present in almost all animals' lungs. The trachea extends from ...

, and Seleucia Tracheotis. The site of the ancient city of Olba () is also within the boundaries of modern-day Silifke.

History

Antiquity

Located a few miles from the mouth of the

Göksu The Göksu River (), known in antiquity as the Calycadnus and in the Middle Ages as the Saleph, is a river on the Taşeli Plateau in southern Turkey. Its two sources arise in the Taurus Mountains—the northern in the Geyik Mountains and the s ...

River, Seleucia was founded by

in the early 3rd century BC, one of several cities he named after himself. It is probable that there were already towns called Olbia (or Olba) and Hyria and that Seleucus I merely united them giving them his name. The city grew to include the nearby settlement of

Holmi Holmi or Holmoi (), or Holmia, also possibly called Hermia, was a Greek town of Cilicia Tracheia with a harbor, a little to the south-west of Seleucia ad Calycadnum. When Seleucia ad Calycadnum was founded, the inhabitants of Holmi migrated the ...

(in modern-day

Taşucu Taşucu is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Silifke, Mersin Province, Turkey. Its population is 15,184 (2022). Before the 2013 reorganisation, it was a town (''belde''). It had obtained the status of ''belde'' after the local el ...

) which had been established earlier as an

Ionia Ionia ( ) was an ancient region encompassing the central part of the western coast of Anatolia. It consisted of the northernmost territories of the Ionian League of Greek settlements. Never a unified state, it was named after the Ionians who ...

n colony but being on the coast was vulnerable to raiders and pirates. The new city up river was doubtless seen as safer against attacks from the sea so Seleucia achieved considerable commercial prosperity as a port for this corner of

(later named

), and was even a rival of Tarsus. Cilicia thrived as a province of the

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

, and Seleucia became a religious center with a renowned 2nd century

Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the List of Solar System objects by size, largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a Jupiter mass, mass more than 2.5 times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined a ...

. It was also the site of a noted school of

philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

and

literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...

, the birthplace of

peripatetic Peripatetic may refer to: *Peripatetic school, a school of philosophy in Ancient Greece *Peripatetic axiom, in philosophy *Peripatetic minority, a mobile population moving among settled populations offering a craft or trade. *Peripatetic Jats T ...

Athenaeus Athenaeus of Naucratis (, or Nαυκράτιος, ''Athēnaios Naukratitēs'' or ''Naukratios''; ) was an ancient Greek rhetorician and Grammarian (Greco-Roman), grammarian, flourishing about the end of the 2nd and beginning of the 3rd century ...

and

Xenarchus Xenarchus (; 1st century BC) of Seleucia in Cilicia, was a Greek Peripatetic philosopher and grammarian. Xenarchus left home early, and devoted himself to the profession of teaching, first at Alexandria, afterwards at Athens, and last at Rome, ...

. The stone bridge was built by the governor L. Octavius Memor in 77 AD. Around 300 AD

was established as an independent state with Seleucia as the capital.

Christianity

Early

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

s held a

Council of Seleucia The Council of Seleucia was an early Christian church synod at Seleucia Isauria (now Silifke, Turkey). History In 358, the Roman Emperor Constantius II requested two councils, one of the western bishops at Ariminum and one of the eastern bishop ...

in 325, 359, and 410. Seleucia was famous for the tomb of the virgin Saint Thecla of Iconium, converted by

Saint Paul Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...

, who died at Seleucia, the tomb was one of the most celebrated in the Christian world and was restored several times, among others by the Emperor

Zeno Zeno may refer to: People * Zeno (name), including a list of people and characters with the given name * Zeno (surname) Philosophers * Zeno of Elea (), philosopher, follower of Parmenides, known for his paradoxes * Zeno of Citium (333 – 264 B ...

in the 5th century, and today the ruins of the tomb and sanctuary are called ''Meriamlik''. In the 5th century the imperial governor (''comes Isauriae'') in residence at Seleucia had two legions at his disposal, the Legio II Isaura and the Legio III Isaura. From this period, and perhaps later, dates the Christian

necropolis A necropolis (: necropolises, necropoles, necropoleis, necropoli) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greek ''nekropolis'' (). The term usually implies a separate burial site at a distan ...

, west of the town, which contains many tombs of Christian soldiers. According to the ''

Notitia Episcopatuum The ''Notitiae Episcopatuum'' (singular: ''Notitia Episcopatuum'') were official documents that furnished for Eastern countries the list and hierarchical rank of the metropolitan and suffragan bishoprics of a church. In the Roman Church (the mos ...

'' of the

Patriarchate of Antioch The Patriarch of Antioch is a traditional title held by the bishop of Antioch (modern-day Antakya, Turkey). As the traditional "overseer" (, , from which the word ''bishop'' is derived) of the first gentile Christian community, the position has ...

, in the 6th century, the

Metropolitan Metropolitan may refer to: Areas and governance (secular and ecclesiastical) * Metropolitan archdiocese, the jurisdiction of a metropolitan archbishop ** Metropolitan bishop or archbishop, leader of an ecclesiastical "mother see" * Metropolitan ar ...

of Seleucia had twenty-four suffragan sees. In 705 Seleucia was captured by the Arab armies of Islam and was recovered by the Byzantines. Thus by 732 nearly all the

ecclesiastical province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction in Christian churches, including those of both Western Christianity and Eastern Christianity, that have traditional hierarchical structures. An ecclesiastical province consist ...

of Isauria was incorporated into the

Patriarchate of Constantinople The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (, ; ; , "Roman Orthodox Patriarchate, Ecumenical Patriarchate of Istanbul") is one of the fifteen to seventeen autocephalous churches that together compose the Eastern Orthodox Church. It is headed ...

; henceforth the province figures in the ''Notitiae'' of the

, but under the name of ''

Pamphylia Pamphylia (; , ''Pamphylía'' ) was a region in the south of Anatolia, Asia Minor, between Lycia and Cilicia, extending from the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean to Mount Taurus (all in modern-day Antalya province, Turkey). It was bounded on the ...

''. In the ''Notitiae'' of

Leo VI the Wise Leo VI, also known as Leo the Wise (; 19 September 866 – 11 May 912), was Byzantine Emperor from 886 to 912. The second ruler of the Macedonian dynasty (although his parentage is unclear), he was very well read, leading to his epithet. During ...

(ca. 900) Seleucia had 22 suffragan bishoprics; in that of

Constantine Porphyrogenitus Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (; 17 May 905 – 9 November 959) was the fourth Byzantine emperor of the Macedonian dynasty, reigning from 6 June 913 to 9 November 959. He was the son of Emperor Leo VI and his fourth wife, Zoe Karbonopsina, an ...

(ca 940) it had 23. In 968 Antioch again fell into the power of the Byzantines, and with the Province of Isauria, Seleucia was allocated to the

. We know of several metropolitans of this see, the first of whom, Agapetus, attended the Council of Nicaea in 325; Neonas was at the Council of Seleucia in 359; Symposius at the Council of Constantinople in 381; Dexianus at the

Council of Ephesus The Council of Ephesus was a council of Christian bishops convened in Ephesus (near present-day Selçuk in Turkey) in AD 431 by the Roman Emperor Theodosius II. This third ecumenical council, an effort to attain consensus in the church th ...

in 431;

Basil Basil (, ; , ; ''Ocimum basilicum'' (, )), also called great basil, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae (mints). It is a hardiness (plants), tender plant, and is used in cuisines worldwide. In Western cuisine, the generic term "basil" r ...

, a celebrated orator and writer, whose conduct was rather ambiguous at the

Second Council of Ephesus The Second Council of Ephesus was a Christological church synod in 449 convened by Emperor Theodosius II under the presidency of Pope Dioscorus I of Alexandria. It was intended to be an ecumenical council, and it is accepted by the miaphysit ...

and at the beginning of the

Council of Chalcedon The Council of Chalcedon (; ) was the fourth ecumenical council of the Christian Church. It was convoked by the Roman emperor Marcian. The council convened in the city of Chalcedon, Bithynia (modern-day Kadıköy, Istanbul, Turkey) from 8 Oct ...

in 451;

Theodore Theodore may refer to: Places * Theodore, Australian Capital Territory, Australia * Theodore, Queensland, Australia * Theodore, Saskatchewan, Canada * Theodore, Alabama, United States * Theodore Reservoir, in Saskatchewan People * Theodore (gi ...

was at the

Fifth Ecumenical Council The Second Council of Constantinople is the fifth of the first seven ecumenical councils recognized by both the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church. It is also recognized by the Old Catholics and others. Protestant opinions and rec ...

in 553;

Macrobius Macrobius Ambrosius Theodosius, usually referred to as Macrobius (fl. AD 400), was a Roman provincial who lived during the early fifth century, during late antiquity, the period of time corresponding to the Later Roman Empire, and when Latin was ...

at the

Sixth Ecumenical Council The Third Council of Constantinople, counted as the Sixth Ecumenical Council by the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Churches, and by certain other Western Churches, met in 680–681 and condemned monoenergism and monothelitism as heretical and ...

and the

Council in Trullo The Quinisext Council (; , literally meaning, ''Fifth-Sixth Meeting''), i.e., the Fifth-Sixth Council, often called the Council ''in Trullo'', Trullan Council, or the Penthekte Synod, was a church council held in 692 at Constantinople under Jus ...

in 692. No longer a residential see, Seleucia in Isauria has been included in the list of

titular see A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbi ...

s of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, which has made no new appointments of a

titular bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

to this eastern see since the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the or , was the 21st and most recent ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. The council met each autumn from 1962 to 1965 in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City for session ...

Turkish period

In the 11th century, the city was captured by the

Seljuk Turks The Seljuk dynasty, or Seljukids ( ; , ''Saljuqian'',) alternatively spelled as Saljuqids or Seljuk Turks, was an Oghuz Turks, Oghuz Turkic, Sunni Muslim dynasty that gradually became Persianate society, Persianate and contributed to Turco-Persi ...

; they met with resistance and in 1137, Seleucia was besieged by

Leon Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fro ...

Cilician Armenia The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, also known as Cilician Armenia, Lesser Armenia, Little Armenia or New Armenia, and formerly known as the Armenian Principality of Cilicia, was an Armenians, Armenian state formed during the High Middle Ages b ...

. During this period of struggle between Armenians, Byzantines, Crusaders, and Turks, a stronghold was built on the heights overlooking the city. On June 10, 1190, the Emperor

Frederick Barbarossa Frederick Barbarossa (December 1122 – 10 June 1190), also known as Frederick I (; ), was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 until his death in 1190. He was elected King of Germany in Frankfurt on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aachen on 9 March 115 ...

was drowned trying to cross the Calycadnus, near Seleucia during the

Third Crusade The Third Crusade (1189–1192) was an attempt led by King Philip II of France, King Richard I of England and Emperor Frederick Barbarossa to reconquer the Holy Land following the capture of Jerusalem by the Ayyubid sultan Saladin in 1187. F ...

. In the 13th century Seleucia was in the possession of the

Hospitallers The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), is a Catholic military order. It was founded in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century and had headquarters there ...

, who lost it to the

Karamanid The Karamanids ( or ), also known as the Emirate of Karaman and Beylik of Karaman (), was a Turkish people, Turkish Anatolian beyliks, Anatolian beylik (principality) of Salur tribe origin, descended from Oghuz Turks, centered in South-Centra ...

Principality in the second half of the 13th century, and then it ended up in the hands of the

Ottomans Ottoman may refer to: * Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire * Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II" * Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empir ...

under general Gedik Ahmet Pasha in 1471. Until 1933, Silifke was the capital of İçel Province, but then, İçel and Mersin provinces were merged. The merged province took the name of İçel but with its administrative centre at

. Finally in 2002 the name of İçel was replaced with that of Mersin.

Economy

The economy of the district depends on agriculture, tourism and raising livestock. The town of Silifke is as a market for the coastal plain, which produces beans, peanuts, sesame, banana, orange, lemon, cotton, grapes, lentils, olives, tobacco, and canned fruits and vegetables. An irrigation project located at Silifke supplies the fertile

Göksu Delta The Göksu Delta is the river delta at the confluence of the Göksu River with the Mediterranean Sea, in Mersin Province in southern Turkey. It is a 15,000 ha area of land that occupies coastal part of Silifke district. It is one of the largest ar ...

. In recent years there has been a large investment in glasshouses for producing strawberries and other fruit and vegetables in the winter season. Silifke is also an industrial town, well-connected with other urban areas and producing beverages, chemicals, clothes, footwear, glass, plastics, pottery, and textiles.

Climate

Silifke has a

hot-summer Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

''Csa'') with hot and dry summers and mild and wet winters.

Composition

There are 88

neighbourhoods A neighbourhood (Commonwealth English) or neighborhood (American English) is a geographically localized community within a larger town, city, suburb or rural area, sometimes consisting of a single street and the buildings lining it. Neighbourh ...

in Silifke District:Mahalle
Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 12 July 2023. * Akdere * Arkum *

Atakent Atakent is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Silifke, Mersin Province, Turkey. Its population is 8,195 (2022). Before the 2013 reorganisation, it was a town (''belde''). Geography Atakent is a Mediterranean coastal town. A ...

Atayurt Atayurt is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Silifke, Mersin Province, Turkey. Its population is 6,876 (2022). Before the 2013 reorganisation, it was a town (''belde''). Geography Atayurt is in the fertile alluvial plain of S ...

* Atik *

Ayaştürkmenli Ayaştürkmenli is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Silifke, Mersin Province, Turkey. Its population is 81 (2022). It is situated in the Taurus Mountains The Taurus Mountains (Turkish language, Turkish: ''Toros Dağları'' or ...

Bahçe Bahçe (literally "garden") is a Turkish place name that may refer to the following places in Turkey: * Bahçe, Bismil * Bahçe, Horasan * Bahçe, Osmaniye, a rural district and town of Osmaniye Province * Bahçe, Karataş, a village in the dis ...

Bahçederesi Bahçederesi is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Silifke, Mersin Province, Turkey. Its population is 169 (2022). It is situated in the southern slopes of the Taurus Mountains. The distance to Silifke is and to Mersin Mersin ...

Balandız Balandız (Gümüşlü) is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Silifke, Mersin Province, Turkey. Its population is 170 (2022). It is situated in the Taurus Mountains. It is from Silifke and from Mersin. Balandız is an agricultur ...

Bayındır Bayındır is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of İzmir Province, Turkey. Its area is 548 km2, and its population is 40,073 (2022). The central town of the district is situated in the valley of the Küçük Menderes. History ...

Bolacalıkoyuncu Bolacalıkoyuncu is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Silifke, Mersin Province, Turkey. Its population is 971 (2022). The village is situated on the state highway D.400. It is almost merged to Taşucu a town to the west. The dist ...

* Bucaklı * Bükdeğirmeni *

Burunucu Burunucu is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Silifke, Mersin Province, Turkey. Its population is 865 (2022). The village is situated on the state highway D.400, almost at the midpoint between Silifke and Taşucu (a coastal town ...

* Çadırlı *

Çaltıbozkır Çaltıbozkır is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Silifke, Mersin Province, Turkey. Its population was 821 in 2022. It is situated in the forests of the Taurus Mountains. The distance to Silifke is and the distance to Mersin ...

Cambazlı Cambazlı is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Silifke, Mersin Province, Turkey. Its population is 686 (2022). It is situated in the plateau to the south of the Taurus Mountains. The distance to Silifke is and to Mersin is . ...

* Camikebir * Çamlıbel * Çamlıca *

Çatak Çatak (; ) is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Van Province, Turkey. Its area is 1,952 km2, and its population is 18,462 (2022). Its inhabitants are Kurds. As mayor Abdürrahman Şeylan from the Justice and Development Par ...

Çeltikçi Çeltikçi is a town in Burdur Province in the Mediterranean region of Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast ...

* Cılbayır * Demircili * Ekşiler *

Evkafçiftliği Evkafçiftliği is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Silifke, Mersin Province, Turkey. Its population is 131 (2022). It is situated in the Göksu River valley. The village is to the east of Turkish state highway D.715. The dista ...

* Gazi * Gedikpınarı *

Gökbelen Gökbelen is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Silifke, Mersin Province, Turkey. Its population is 181 (2022). Its distance to Silifke is and to Mersin is . In summers the population increases for the village is used as a summer ...

* Göksu *

Gülümpaşalı Gülümpaşalı is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Silifke, Mersin Province, Turkey. Its population is 395 (2022). The village is situated in the coastal plain of Silifke about north of the Mediterranean Sea coast and to the so ...

* Gündüzler *

Hırmanlı Hırmanlı is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Silifke, Mersin Province, Turkey. Its population is 391 (2022). The village is situated in the southern slopes of Toros Mountains. Its distance to Turkish state highway D.400 is ab ...

* Hüseyinler * İmambekirli * İmamlı *

İmamuşağı İmamuşağı is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Silifke, Mersin Province, Turkey. Its population is 634 (2022). The village is situated in the southern slopes of Toros Mountains. Its distance to Silifke is and to Mersin is . ...

* Işıklı * Kabasakallı * Karahacılı * Karakaya *

Kargıcak Kargıcak is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Silifke, Mersin Province, Turkey. Its population is 316 (2022). It is situated to the east of Göksu River valley. Distance to Silifke is and to Mersin Mersin () is a large city ...

* Kavak * Keben * Kepez * Keşlitürkmenli * Kıca * Kırtıl *

Kızılgeçit Kızılgeçit is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Silifke, Mersin Province, Turkey. Its population is 107 (2022). It is situated in Limonlu Creek valley of Toros Mountains The Taurus Mountains ( Turkish: ''Toros Dağları'' ...

Kocaoluk Kocaoluk is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Silifke, Mersin Province, Turkey. Its population is 297 (2022). It is situated in Toros Mountains The Taurus Mountains ( Turkish: ''Toros Dağları'' or ''Toroslar,'' Greek'':'' Τ ...

* Kocapınar *

Kurtuluş Kurtuluş is a neighbourhood of the Şişli district of Istanbul that was originally called ''Tatavla,'' meaning 'stables' in Greek (). The modern Turkish name means "liberation", "salvation", "independence" or "deliverance". On 13 April 1929, si ...

Mara Mara or MARA may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Mara (''Doctor Who''), an evil being in two ''Doctor Who'' serials * Mara (She-Ra), fictional characters from the ''She-Ra and the Princesses of Power'' and ''The New Advent ...

* Mukaddem *

Narlıkuyu Narlıkuyu (; in Turkish language, Turkish) is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Silifke, Mersin Province, Turkey. Its population is 2,476 (2022). Before the 2013 Turkish local government reorganisation, 2013 reorganisation, it ...

* Nasrullah * Nuru * Ören * Ortaören * Ovacık *

Özboynuinceli Özboynuinceli is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Silifke, Mersin Province, Turkey. Its population is 78 (2022). It is situated in high plateau of the northern slopes of the Taurus Mountains. Distance to Silifke is and to Mersi ...

Öztürkmenli Öztürkmenli is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Silifke, Mersin Province, Turkey. Its population is 80 (2022). The village is situated in the southern slopes of Toros Mountains to the east of Yenibahçe. The distance to Silifk ...

* Pazarkaşı * Pelitpınarı * Sabak *

Şahmurlu Şahmurlu is a rural neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Silifke, Mersin Province, Turkey. Its population is 157 (2022). It is from Silifke is and from Mersin Mersin () is a large city and port on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterr ...

* Saray *

Sarıaydın Sarıaydın (also known as Sarıaydınlı) is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Silifke, Mersin Province, Turkey. Its population is 1,094 (2022). It is a situated in the Toros Mountains. The distance to Silifke is about and to M ...

* Sarıcalar * Say * Sayağzı * Senir * Seydili * Seyranlık * Sökün * Sömek *

* Toros *

Tosmurlu Tosmurlu is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Silifke, Mersin Province, Turkey. Its population is 1,203 (2022). It is situated to the north of Turkish state highway State road D.715 (Turkey), D.715 and to the west of Silifke. The ...

* Türkmenuşağı * Ulugöz * Uşakpınarı *

Uzuncaburç Uzuncaburç is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Silifke, Mersin Province, Turkey. Its population is 878 (2022). Before the 2013 Turkish local government reorganisation, 2013 reorganisation, it was a town (''belde''). Geography ...

* Yeğenli * Yenibahçe * Yenimahalle * Yenisu * Yeşilovacık

Main sights

The town of Silifke has many interesting sites including: * The prominent remains of the

Silifke Castle Silifke Castle () is a medieval castle in Turkey. Geography The castle is in Silifke district of Mersin Province. It is situated to the west of Silifke city center, to the south of Göksu River (''Calydanus'' of the antiquity) and to the north o ...

high on a rock above the town, * The city walls, * A large water tank (

Tekir ambarı Tekir may refer to: * Erdinç Tekir (born 1966), Turkish member of the IHH * Tekir, located at the ancient settlement of Knidos Knidos or Cnidus (; , , , Knídos) was a Greek city in ancient Caria and part of the Dorian Hexapolis, in south- ...

) cut into the rock, * An extensive necropolis of rock-cut tombs with inscriptions. * Aya Tekla Church *

Silifke Museum Silifke Museum is in Silifke district of Mersin Province, Turkey. History The first museology activity in Silifke dates back to 1939. The findings in Silifke district which is rich in archaeological wealth were collected in a former primary scho ...

* Cyprus Memorial Forest in Silifke Other notable sites outside the town are: * The caves of "Heaven and Hell" ('Cennet ve Cehennem'), which have collapsed in two places revealing deep holes in the ground. *

is an attractive village, where people from

come to eat fish and enjoy the seaside. *

Dana Island Dana Island (, also called ''Kargıncık Adası'', Greek language, Greek Latin ''Pithyussa'') is a small Mediterranean island of Turkey. Geography Dana Adası lies parallel to south coast of Turkey at in the province of Mersin province, Mers ...

* The archaeological sites

Işıkkale Işıkkale (meaning the "castle of light") is an ancient settlement in Turkey. Işıkkale is located at in the rural area of Silifke ilçe (district) of Mersin Province. Işıkkale was established in the Taurus Mountains. Its distance from Silif ...

Karakabaklı Karakabaklı is an archaeological site in Mersin Province, Turkey. Geography Karakabaklı is situated next to Karadedeli village (now a remote neighborhood of Atakent) in the rural area of Silifke district. In the antiquity this region was cal ...

Gökkale Gökkale is an ancient villa rustica in Silifke district of Mersin Province, Turkey Geography Gökkale is situated to the northwest of the İmamlı, Silifke, İmamlı village. Imamlı can be reached via a 15 km (9.3 mi) road from Atakent wh ...

Meydan Castle Meydankale is the archaeological site of a ruined castle in Mersin Province, Turkey. Geography Meydankale is situated between the İmamlı and Yenibahçe villages in the rural area of Silifke district. In the antiquity this region was called C ...

Sinekkale Sinekkale (literally "The castle of flies") is an archaeological site where the architectural remains of a large villa rustica have been identified in Turkey. The original name is unknown. Location Sinekkale is located in the rural area of Silif ...

, Olba Image:Silifke castle walls.jpg, Outer walls of the castle of Silifke Image:Silifke castle arrival.jpg, Silifke castle Image:Silifke castle bar.jpg, Bar next to the castle of Silifke Image:Silifke castle panel.jpg, Touristic panel describing the castle of Silifke Image:Cave church of Aya Tekla.jpg, Aya Tekla Church Image:Tekir ambarı Silifke Mersin Province.jpg,

cistern

Life and culture

The Turkmen community of Silifke has a strong tradition of folk music and dance including songs such as ''The Yogurt of Silifke'' (where the dancers imitate the actions of making

yogurt Yogurt (; , from , ; also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt) is a food produced by bacterial Fermentation (food), fermentation of milk. Fermentation of sugars in the milk by these bacteria produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to ...

) and another one where they wave wooden spoons about as they dance. The cuisine includes breakfast of leaves of unleavened bread (''

bazlama Bazlama is a leavened, circular flatbread from Turkish cuisine Turkish cuisine () is largely the heritage of Ottoman cuisine, Ottoman cuisine (Osmanlı mutfağı), European influences, Seljuk Empire, Seljuk cuisine and the Turkish diaspora. ...

'') with a dry sour cottage cheese (

çökelek Çökelek () is a Fermented milk products, fermented and acid/heat coagulated fresh cheese from Turkish cuisine, Turkey and Azerbaijani cuisine, Azerbaijan. It can be produced from heating fermented buttermaking by-products such as buttermilk (''ya ...

) or fried meats. Many other dishes feature

bulgur wheat Bulgur (; ; ; ), or Borghol (), is a cracked wheat foodstuff found in Egyptian cuisine, South Asian cuisine and West Asian cuisine. Characteristics Bulgur is distinct from cracked wheat, which is crushed wheat grain that, unlike bulgur, ha ...

. The annual ''Silifke Yoghurt Festival'' takes place in May.

References

External links

District governor's official website

District municipality's official website

Silifke Guide and Photo Album

susanoğlu

Extensive photo site of Silifke, the temple and nearby sights

Carefully documented photographic survey and plan of Silifke Castle
{{Authority control Çukurova Populated places in Silifke District Seleucid colonies in Anatolia Catholic titular sees in Asia Districts of Mersin Province Metropolitan district municipalities in Turkey