Mersin is located on the Mediterranean Sea, on the southern end of Turkey, This is Kızkalesi, or Maiden’s Castle/Fortress.
While we were there, Mersin was also setting up for the 2013 Mediterranean Games. We didn’t get to see any of the action, unfortunately, only the set-up.
The sand here wasn’t like how it was a few hundred miles west… it was very fine and so soft. (In Fethiye, it was mostly rock sand… very painful to walk on!).
The wave reaching the shore at Mersin. The water created very different, intricate trenches in the sand as it passed over it. This beach was very shallow as well. You could go 100 meters into the water and still be standing with your head over the water.
At night, the castle had lights shining on it in different colors. It changed once every second, and was such a wonderful addition that I wouldn’t have expected. These pictures were taken from our hotel room.
Entry was free, but to have a seat, and optional umbrella, was 12 Lira for both of us, after a discount from our hotel. We just walked up to a seat and almost immediately one of the workers asked us for the money, then he would keep track of the people all day and remember who paid. We left the second day to go to the castle and, after 3 hours, came back to our stuff still there and no problems.
The security for the beach, sitting calmly in the shade. We had the Kale Motel, the small white hotel on the right side of the picture. It had a gorgeous view of the castle.
We got to paddle boat to the castle. I hadn’t paddle boated in so long. It was very tiring, but not as tiring as swimming would be. We were able to paddle boat for two hours for about 20 Lira or so; water boat parachuting would have been 100 Lira for a 15 minute ride. Entry into the castle is 5 Lira.
Kızkalesi, Maiden’s Castle, was built some time before 1200 AD by Alexios I Komnenos of the Byzantine Empire, most likely. It’s about 1/4 mile from the shore (or 400 meters).
I tried researching more information beyond who built it and who renovated it, but found very little. I’ve read conflicting legends online between Kızkalesi (Maiden’s Castle in Mersin) and Kız Kulesi (Maiden’s Tower in Istanbul). I read over and over the same story that I read about Kız Kulesi (the ruler’s daughter was predicted to be bitten by a snake, so he built the island, and was bit by the snake anyway. sorry about the spoiler). So I’m not sure of the reason why it’s named Kız Kulesi. If I do find the information, I’ll update the blog to reflect what I know (or if anyone else knows why, please comment!). Anyway, back to the pictures!
Just inside the castle.
A water boat parachutist above the castle.
The tiny stairs in the tower.
I’m standing on the top of the far right tower, you can see a far-away view in the next picture.
We were at least 100 feet (about 30 meters) high. It was such a beautiful view too. The sun sparkling on the water, and the warm, salty wind blowing at our faces. It was so perfect up there.
I loved the colors in this picture. The different shades of blue against the stark white of the castle.
Looking over the edge. Suleyman was so worried I’d fall off, so he made me sit on the tower.
Some of the support beams for the top part of the castle. Such a beautiful view, I couldn’t resist.
The view of the castle from the top of the tower. The square structure in the middle is a bridge to show some of the mosaic designs on the ground.
Here’s a closer detail of one of the mosaics. Many of them were destroyed, or barely survived time, but some are still distinguishable. (Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bysmallmeans/2921756637/)
The next day we went spelunking (exploring through caves). We went to the Asthma Caves and The Chasm of Heaven and the Pit of Hell. Before I even post the cave pictures, just know that even with Süleyman’s fancy DSL camera, because it was so dark, we had to use a high aperture (to allow the most light inside the camera) and a flash, which made the quality of the pictures go down. So trust me when I say it’s very beautiful in the caves, but the pictures won’t represent that.
The entrance to the Asthma Caves. It was inside another building filled with a few tourist shops and a small restaurant. The asthma caves were well-lit (well enough to keep the personality of the cave), when compared with the Chasm of Heaven, which had a few bright lights near the entrance of the cave, but not enough to see the beautiful natural artwork on the ceiling of the cave.
When you finish the stairs, there are more stairs and a few paths you can take. We first took the far right path and ended up in this room. The first room we discovered; it was heavenly.
Here is a huge column where the stalactites met the stalagmites. If you can strain your eyes, I’m standing to the left of it, wearing blue and white.
Some more stalactites (on top growing down) and stalagmites (on the bottom, growing up).
Beautifully lit stalactites near the wall.
They had an adorable Heaven/Hell picture they pasted on many products: thermal mugs, coasters, notebooks, pens, etc. Half of the creature was an angel, and the other half a devil. So cute!
Here’s the Pit of Hell. Again, it was dark, so the quality might not be the best. But it was beautiful! The diameter is 30 meters (about 100 feet), and the depth is 120 meters (about 400 feet). There is a Greek legend about this cave. Typhon, a 100-headed, fire-breathing dragon battles Zeus, the god of all gods, from time to time. One of these fights Typhon won and banished Zeus to this pit. Zeus called two other gods, Hermes and Pan, to rescue him. After they rescued him, Zeus captured Typhon and buried him deep in the earth, below Mount Etna, in Italy, an active volcano, supposedly because of the dragon.
Süleyman was a little nervous looking down to the Pit of Hell.
But I felt just fine up there.
The Pit of Hell to the right, up a slight incline, and the Chasm of Heaven to the left, down a steep and rocky 455 steps.
A sign on the way down to the Chasm of Heaven, “Attention: The ground is slippery.”
It takes 288 steps to get to the Virgin Mary Chapel.
Many people got their picture taken here, then walked back up to the very warm world. Right about when you hit this spot it started cooling down, but gets really chilly down in the cave. This spot is 70 more steps down from the chapel.
This spot, at the mouth of the cave was the furthest most people went (right below the chapel). This is when it got really dirty, but you could still see into the cave a little, with the help of those spotlights you can see in the darkness.
This is the muck-coated floor of Heaven. It’s pretty slippery, so try to wear decent shoes. And expect to get dirty. You won’t really have to deal with this, unless you go into the mouth of the cave. All the way before it isn’t very slippery/dirty.
A view of the chapel from inside the cave.
The best picture of the intense height of the cave. This was taken from deep inside the cave. Süleyman is in this picture at the bottom, wearing white.
This wonderful shot I got of Süleyman enjoying the cooling cave. Right where I stood you could hear the underground river that eventually led to the sea.
The treacherous hike back up the 455 steps. It took us a good five or ten minutes longer to go back up than to go down, and the humidity level rising didn’t help either. But both were equally difficult with foot holds, loose rocks and other people climbing up and down.
Surprisingly enough, somehow in both the Asthma Caves and Heaven and Hell, we had just missed large tour groups, as they were walking in just as we were walking back out. After walking all day, with almost no water (get a water bottle!!!) and no food, we were exhausted and starving. A (very filling) meal of tantuni, thinly diced meat (with optional tomatoes, peppers or rocket) on a thin bread, like a tortilla, rolled up. The grease will slide all over your hands and chin, and it’s so deliciously bad for you! A perfect meal for the end of a long day!
Sources:
http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/go/med/kizkalesi/cennet-cehennem.html
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