Kızkalesi, 50km southwest of Mersin, is
a lovely county with fine sandy beaches,
motels and camp sites. It is also home to
the ancient city of Korykos. The 12thcentury
castle of Korykos on the shore
faces another castle, Kızkalesi (Maiden’s
Castle), standing on a tiny island 200m
offshore. Just beyond Kızkalesi, on a
bay lined with fish restaurants at the
lile fishing village of Narlıkuyu, a Roman
mosaic known as the Three Graces can
be found. Further on at the boom of a
valley is a naturally formed cave, 275m
by 125m in size, known as Cennet
(Heaven) and there is also a deep chasm
(50-75m wide and 80-120m deep) called
Cehennem (Hell). In the so-called Vale
of Heaven are the ruins of a temple
converted into a Christian chapel in
the fih century. Nearby is the deep
Narlıkuyu Cave full of stalagmites,
Turkish eras.
Eleven kilometres west of Mersin can be
found a row of Corinthian columns that
once lined the main street of Viranşehir
(ancient Pompeiopolis and Soloi),
founded in 700BC by the Rhodians.
At Kanlıdivane are the ruins of ancient
Kanytelis, with tombs resembling small
temples, and churches and sarcophagi
dating from Roman and Byzantine
times. The city and its ruins can be
found on the sides of a deep chasm.
Kanlıdivane, Erdemli
Uzuncaburç, Silifke