Friday, 17 August 2007
A few months ago I received the following email:
hi joe
The our site is open about Mersin. Review this site then add us URL, please.
Thank you very much
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Mersin360 YönetimI've finally got around to reviewing it.
Mersin360.com is a well-designed Turkish-language Mersin portal centred around local entertainment events. The website includes blogs, a forum and a photo gallery. It is very similar to and probably inspired by
MersinSosyete.com.
The amount of up to date information about Mersin on the net has rapidly increased in the last year. Unfortunately, little of the information is in English.
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Labels: turkey - mersin - general
Tuesday, 14 August 2007
Here is a
glowing review of Mersin. The man came to Mersin via the Latakia ferry from Tartous, Syria for a break with his family. A quote:
Mersin is such a nice place and only a stone throw away from Tartous. Knowing this city intimately, as I’ve done over the last few days, is akin to having an affair with your beautiful neighbor.-------------------
Labels: syria, turkey - mersin - general
Monday, 13 August 2007
Wednesday morning I left home at 5 am and, for the first time ever, walked the 10 kilometres west along the coast from Camlibel to Mezitli, Mersin's neighbouring town. I returned via bus, arriving back home at 8:20 am.
The early morning is a beautiful time to walk. The heat of the sun and the city noise were non-existent. Following are a few photos I took during my walk:
This stray kitten and its companion (not in photo) were hungry for food
The sun rising in the east. Pollution helps make sunrises and sunsets more beautiful (probably pollution's only positive).
Looking towards Pozcu. There are people walking, play equipment, a cafe, military relics and the ugly "Pozcu Plaza" building with crane on top intruding in front of the mountains. This is the same building as I wrote about here.
Mersin's largest mosque, "Mugdat Camii"
The reflection of a fountain prior to its daily operation
A fisherman not worried about the pollution in the bay. Perhaps he thinks it is a bonus if the fish have two heads. In the foreground are pigeons enjoying a feeding frenzy. My one-man pigeon crap-reduction cult has very little chance of succeeding if people keep feeding the birds en masse.
Sculptures are placed at various locations along the coast. This one is of the traditional Turkish puppets
Karagoz and Hacivat.
Bees gorging on pollen in the banana blossoms
In this part of the world it is fashionable to have an English name for your bar no matter how lame it sounds. "The Vodka" anyone?
Galatasaray Square. Soon I will write a post specifically about this disgrace.
A crow resting on the rail. Mersin' skyline is in the background. To the left of the crow is the Taksim International hotel. The 6 pillars visible in the distance to the crow's right are Mugdat Mosque's minarets (see photo above).-------------------
Labels: turkey - mersin - general
Friday, 10 August 2007
Now that I can access Blogger.com again, I will catch-up on a few posts.
Following are pictures and short descriptions (in Turkish) of Mersin Province's successful candidates in the recent
Turkish election. The ratios were such that 4 candidates from each of the AKP, CHP and MHP parties were elected.
AKP (Adalet ve Kalkinmasa Partisi; Justice and Development Party; 'Islamic roots'; currently in power nationally)
CHP (Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi; Republican People's Party; 'centre-left'; Ataturk's party)
MHP (Milliyet Hareket Partisi; Nationalist Movement Party; 'ultra-nationalists')
QUICK QUIZ
Q: Did you notice anything odd about the candidates?
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A: They are all males born between 1944 and 1968 (one or two member-elect descriptions don't mention their birth date but they would be in suggested range)
I wish the new members of parliament were far more representative of Mersin's actual population and featured more women and young people. Incidentally, nationally, Turkey has one of the lowest percentages of women elected to parliament in the world.
POSTCRIPT: Here is an interesting pre-election
write-up about the supposed 'turbulent' and 'tense' city of Mersin.
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Labels: politics, turkey, turkey - mersin - general
Sunday, 10 June 2007
The Mersin, Turkey to Latakia (alternative spelling: Lattakia; in Turkish: Lazkiye) Syria
international ferry will restart on 28 June for the 2007 summer season.
In 2006 the ferry cost USD 48 one way and USD 96 return and ran Mondays and Thursdays, departing Mersin at 9 AM and returning from Latakia at 2 PM. I will update this post when I hear the prices and schedule for this year.
Thank you Christel for the tip!UPDATE: The 2007 ferry schedule is the same as 2006's: departing Mersin at 9 AM on Mondays and Thursdays and returning from Latakia in the afternoon on the same day. The cost is $65 one-way and $130 return, more than 30% more expensive than last year.
Merlat sell tickets: telephone +90-324-237 1668.
NOTE: some advice from Adam in comments:
...these ferries don't seem terribly reliable ... the one on Monday 13 August 2007 was cancelled altogether. Check and double check, if you're thinking of using it!
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Labels: syria, turkey - mersin - general, turkey travel
Saturday, 9 June 2007
As long as I can recall, the partially-constructed apartment complex pictured above has remained idle. According to its sign, "Pozcu Plaza" was going to be the 'residence of the year 2000'.
"Pozcu Plaza" was highly likely one of the countless victims of Turkey's dual economic collapses in 1999 and 2001. In these years many construction projects came to a standstill or stopped completely as their owners became bankrupt, ran out of money or both. Not visible in the photo above is a crane stuck on the roof, evidence that the development came to a halt suddenly.
Located on prime real estate overlooking the Mersin coastline, the development is crying out to be completed or demolished. However, both of these options are very expensive and only government intervention or a huge rise in land prices will lead to "Pozcu Plaza" regaining face.
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Labels: turkey - economy, turkey - mersin - general
Monday, 26 June 2006
2007 UPDATE: The ferry has returned in 2007. See the
2007 dates, schedule and prices.
I thought this ferry service would never begin. I hope I have the opportunity to take it at some stage this summer. I wonder if I can receive a Syrian visa upon arrival like I can at the land border.
The impact, if any, this ferry will have on Mersin will be interesting for sure. Arabs are already the main tourists here.
In my 6 trips to Syria I never went to Latakia (alternative spelling: Lattakia, in Turkish: Lazkiye), one of Syria's two main ports (Tartous being the other).
Mersin-Latakia sea line launched
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
A new maritime route between two important Turkish and Syrian ports is expected to stimulate tourism and trade relations. The ferry will make the three-and-a-half-hour trip twice a week.
MERSIN – TDN/Referans
The first seabus departed Mersin port on Monday, launching the Mersin-Latakia ferry and reinvorating tourism and trade between Turkey and Syria.
Speaking at the inauguration Mersin Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MTSO) Chairman Kadri Şaman said they had been working on this project for two years. "With the leadership of the MTSO and the Chamber of Shipping [DTO], a maritime company named Merlat Denizcilik was formed with the participation of 40 corporations and various individuals. We overcame difficulties hand in hand. This maritime line will contribute considerably to the tourism sectors of both countries," he said.
The seabus will run twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays.
"If we have as successful a turnout as we expect, then we will increase the number of trips. This initiative can also be developed further to include other Middle Eastern countries that have coasts on the eastern Mediterranean," Şaman said.
The new line would enable the city to develop tourism, Mersin Governor Hüseyin Aksoy said. "This link to our neighboring country Syria is important in terms of the expansion of Mersin tourism. This line will not only contribute to the tourism dimension but also to trade, economy and culture. What lies ahead is a process starting with tourism and developing into many other areas," the governor said.
Mersin Mayor Macit Özcan said they were always in favor of developing relations with Arab countries. He added that there was a standoff in the relations between Turkey and Syria. "We will overcome the standoff with these kinds of initiatives to eventually get rid of it totally. The two countries need each other," he claimed.
The first Mersin-Latakia seabus took off from Mersin with 210 passengers on board and arrived at Latakia after a three-and-a-half-hour trip.
LinkUPDATEPRICES: the ferry costs $48 one way and $96 return. With these prices it is cheaper but more hassle to cross to Syria overland via Antakya.
SCHEDULE: The ferry runs Mondays and Thursdays, departing Mersin at 9 AM and returning from Latakia at 2 PM.
Labels: syria, turkey - mersin - general, turkey travel
