ANAMUR
At the foot of the rugged walls of the Toros range dividing Turkey's eastern Mediterranean coast from the Anatolian plateau, are the fertile coastal plains of Anamur. This is Turkey's southernmost tip facing the Mediterranean to the south and the towering Toros Mountains to the north. The humid and warm climate of Anamur is ideal for growing bananas, which are cultivated nowhere else in Turkey, as well as peanuts, dates and avocado pears. Wildlife, too, abounds, such as the loggerhead turtle, whose last remaining breeding grounds include a beach near Anamur.
After mating the loggerhead females clamber up the beach to lay and bury their eggs in the sand in just two hours before returning to the sea. Hot, sunny beaches, clean sea, and many fascinating historical ruins are among Anamur's other attractions.
Before the advent of imported bananas in Turkey, the tiny, delicious and fragrant bananas grown here were the only kind available in markets and greengrocers. Bananas, which remain the symbol of Anamur, were in the past grown outdoors, but over recent years most farmers have begun to cultivate them under glass for protection against frost. Since both humidity levels and temperature can be controlled in this way, crops are now larger, enabling local bananas to hold their own in competition against imports. The village of Kaledran west of Anamur is the only place where you can still see bananas growing outdoors. Here they are the only crop, and the banana groves are so thick and green that from the road on the hillside above you seem to be looking over a great forest.In the Saturday market held in Anamur, villagers in colourful traditional costume sell delicious summer fruits from their own fields and orchards, including plums, pears, black grapes and strawberries.
Anamur has an ancient history going back to the Hittites. In the 1st century BC Anemurion, as the city was called, came under Roman rule. The Emperor Caligula ceded Anamur and all the other coastal cities of the eastern Mediterranean to the Kingdom of Commagene whose capital was Adıyaman. During the Byzantine period the city was sporadically attacked by Islamic armies, and in the 12th century was under the rule of Seljuks. When the Seljuk state went into decline Anamur became part of the Karamanoğulları Principality, in the second half of the 15th century was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire.
Anamur Castle, one of the best fortified castles in Turkey, lies on the road east of the town and is thought to date from the Roman period. A small mosque with a single minaret originally built by the Karamanoğulları in 1300 stands in the west courtyard. The mosque, which is still in use, is largely 16th century Ottoman in character.The ruins of the ancient city of Anemurion and the nearby beach are both spectacular. The ruins of the ancient walls and buildings of the city cover Anamur Point and the hillsides behind. The ruins nearby present such a vivid scenery and are so well preserved that you seem to hear the voices of its former inhabitants and the sounds of bustling streets.
One of the most remarkable places in Anamur is Köşekbükü Cave near the village of Ovabaşı which contains stalactites and stalagmites. The cave is located in a rocky area surrounded by Scots pine, and by it is a café selling delicious savoury pastries known as gozleme and the yogurt or ayran. Alternatively, you could try grilled trout caught in the ice-cold waters of the River Anamur. Round off your visit with a dip in the river waters which whirl and race down the steep sides of the Toros Mountains, but I lay wager that you will not be able to stand the freezing water for more than a minute!
Bu haber 20/05/2010 tarihinde eklenmiştir.
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