Silifke

Silifke is a city (population: about 65,000) in Mersin Province, Southern Turkey. Although it appears by the shore on the maps, the city itself isn’t a coastal one, but it has suburbs by the shore. Get in by plane Nearest airport for both international and domestic flights is in Adana, about 140 km away. by bus There are buses from Mersin and Konya (from Konya to Silifke costs 20 YTL/person one-way). by train There is no rail network around Silifke. The nearest stations are in Karaman (about 150 km north, which has two daily connections from Istanbul) and in Mersin (about 90 km east, which has several daily regional expresses from Adana). by car The main highway between Antalya and Adana (D400) traverses the city. There is also another highway coming from north (D715). Beware that all roads except the one leading to Mersin in the east are very (in some cases extremely) winding. Get around See Ruins of the Roman temple dedicated to Jupiter (Roman equivalent of Greek Zeus) is standing right in the centre of the city. Later converted to a church, now there are only five columns standing. No admission fee, as there is no guard or a gate. Turquoise Göksu River, name of which means “celestial water” or “azure water” in Turkish, is bisecting the city with its wide, eucalyptus-lined bed. In ancient times it was known as “Saleph River”. This is the river in which crusade leader/German king Frederick Barbarossa drowned in 1190 (the exact site of the event is in an upper location in Göksu valley, though). Archaeological Museum, simply named “Silifke Museum” and signed correspondingly (simply “Müze” both on the road signs and also on the facade of the building). Located on the highway to Antalya, not far from city centre. Do You can go birdwatching in the nearby Göksu Delta, where Göksu River empties into Mediterranean Sea. The delta is home to 106 species of birds of international importance, 12 of which are endangered species. Buy Eat Drink Sleep Otel Arısan, İnönü Cad. 91 (in the city centre, near the otogar), tel +90 324 714 33 31 (e-mail: otelarisan33@hotmail.com). Clean rooms come with a TV and a balcony, although view is not that spectacular (except the mountain ranges rising steeply behind the city if you are from a flat land). 24-hour solar powered hot water. Attendant in the lobby said there is no need for booking at weekends (at least in spring months). Could be a little bit cheaper but still quite good value for money. Double rooms: 15 YTL per person/night (non-A/C, shared bathroom facilities) – 20 YTL per person/night (A/C, private bathrooms). Breakfast is provided for an additional fee (between 7-10 am, 3 YTL?). See also Tasucu, which is only 15 km away and where there are more guesthouses located near the shore. Contact The telephone code for Silifke is 324. Get out Anamur, Alanya, and Manavgat on the road west to Antalya; Heaven and Hell caves (Cennet-Cehennem), Maiden’s Castle (Kızkalesi) (see Mersin Province article for more info about these locations), Mersin, and Tarsus on the road east to Adana; Konya on the road north; Northern Cyprus to the south (via Tasucu harbour). This article is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow!