On the morning of May 30, fate brought me to Adana again. After flying for 1 hour and 15 minutes with Sunexpress, we landed in Adana, watching a magnificent view of Çukurova. I can’t help but mention that Sunexpress is one of the companies that provide their treats for a fee. I thought this custom was specific only to American capitalist companies, but it turns out that it has started to be implemented in Turkey as well. No one dies of hunger in 1 hour, but we could not find this at all compatible with Turkish hospitality.

It’s even more their fault that they put a 5ytl fee. We immediately went to Mersin without staying in Adana. Last year I was preparing for our trip to the East. While researching the Ashab-ı Kehf cave, I learned that there are 33 Ashab-ı Kehf places in Turkey. I don’t know which of these is true, but I would like to see all of them as much as I can. After Kahramanmaraş, we went to the Ashab-ı Kehf cave in Çamlıköy in Tarsus.

There was a very intricate formation inside and it was not even possible to enter some parts of it. They say that one day Karacaoğlan entered this cave and never came out again. Now God knows the truth.

Ashab-ı KehfAshab-ı KehfAshab-ı KehfAshab-ı KehfAshab-ı KehfAshab-ı Kehf

For some reason, when you think of Tarsus, Eshab-ı Kehf comes to mind. As soon as we got off the plane, we headed straight to Tarsus as a family. Speaking of our travel team, most of my trips are with my family. Everyone contributes to our trip differently and we truly form a team. My job is to research everything from A to Z and document it.

From the cheapest and most beautiful hotel to where to visit and where to eat, everything is within the limits of both my hobby and my duty. Everything became much better with the arrival of my older brother, who had not been with us for a long time. His relative is driving and he provided us with an excellent service as our road map with his God-given ability to find places and his ability to instantly take us wherever he wanted.

As you know, fathers are the most natural banks that God has given us. At the same time, my dear father makes every moment valuable. And my mother is the best participant, free consultant, listener and the fixture of our trips.

Where Tarsus was connected remained a question mark for a long time. Some say it is Adana, some say it is Mersin, and some even think it is a district of Hatay. The reason is simple because Tarsus was the capital of the Cilician civilization for many years. No surprise, Tarsus is connected to Mersine. There was a lot to visit and see in Tarsus, which is 30-40 minutes away from Adana by slowest drive. Let me list briefly:

Eshab-ı Kehf (Cave of the Seven Sleepers)

The adventure of a few honorable young people who believed in God has become legendary in our country. They came face to face with death because they accepted Christianity, the true religion before Islam, but they chose not to leave the Truth. The best and most accurate is what He tells. Let’s see how our Almighty Lord describes those beautiful men:

SURA KEHF, VERSE 9-31, DiyaNET PUBLICATIONS SUAT YILDIRIM

9. Or did you think that (only) the Companions of the Cave and the Companions of the Rakim were among our instructive evidence?

10. And when the youth took refuge in the cave and said, “Our Lord! Give us mercy from Yourself and make it easy for us to reach salvation and righteousness in this situation we are in.”

11. So we closed their ears (to the outside world) for many years. (We put them to sleep)

12. Then We woke them up so that we could know which of the two groups had a better estimate of their waiting time.

13. We tell you their news in truth: Surely they were a few brave young men who believed in their Lord. So We increased their guidance.

14. 15. And they stood up and said, “Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We will never call anyone else a god other than Him. Otherwise, we would have spoken nonsense. These, our people, have taken gods other than Him. If only they had brought a clear evidence about them! Who is more unjust than the one who invents a lie against Allah?” When they said, We strengthened their hearts.

16. (One of them said:) “If you have turned away from them and what they worship other than Allah, then retreat to the cave, so that your Lord may extend His mercy to you and provide you with what you can benefit from in your situation.”

17. (If you were there) when the sun rises; You would see it move to the right side of its caves, and as it sank, it moved to the left side without touching them. They were in a large part of the cave. This is one of Allah’s miracles. Whoever Allah guides, he is the one who finds the right path. And if he leads someone astray, you will never find a friend to guide him to the right path.

18. You think they are awake even though they are asleep. We were turning them left and right. The dogs were lying at the entrance of the cave with both arms stretched out. If you had seen them, you would have turned away from them and run away, and you would have been filled with fear because of what you saw.

19. So We woke them up so that they could question each other. One of them: “How long did you stay?” he said. (Some of them) said, “One day, or less than one day.” (The others) said: “Your Lord knows best how long you stayed. Now, send one of you to the city with this silver coin and let him see which of the people (of the city) has the cleanest and most delicious food and bring you sustenance from it.”

In addition, he should act very politely (not attract attention) and not let anyone notice you.”

20. “For if they capture you, they will either stone you to death or convert you to their religion. Then you will never be successful again.”

21. Thus We informed (the people) of their situation, so that they may know that the promise of Allah is true and that there is no doubt about the coming of the Day of Judgment. When they were discussing their situation among themselves (leaving aside the miraculous side and the real wisdom of the event). (Some) said, “Build a building over them; their Lord knows their situation best.” Those who had knowledge of the situation said, “We will definitely build a mosque over them.”

22. (O Muhammad!) Some will say, “They are three people, the fourth is their dog”, blaming about what they do not know. They will also say, “There are five of them, the sixth being their dog.” They will also say: “There are seven of them, the eighth being their dog.” Say: “My Lord knows best their number, and very few people know them.

So do not argue about them except the clear discussion (in the Qur’an), and do not ask any of them about them.

23. Never say “I will do this tomorrow” about anything!

24. But say, “If Allah wills, I will do it.” When you forget, remember your Lord and say, “I hope my Lord will guide me to something more correct than this.”

25. They remained in their cave for three hundred years. They added nine more to this.

26. Say: “Allah knows best the duration of their stay. To Him belongs the knowledge of the unseen of the heavens and the earth. How well He sees and how well He hears! They have no protector other than Him. He does not share with anyone His judgment.”

27. Read what has been revealed to you from the book of your Lord. There is no one who can change His words. You will never find any shelter other than Him.

28. Be with those who pray to their Lord morning and evening, seeking His consent. Do not desire the adornments of worldly life and take your eyes off them. Do not bow down to those whose hearts we have made heedless of our remembrance, who follow their vain desires and whose deeds are always excessive.

29. Say: “The truth is from your Lord. So whoever wills, let him believe, and whoever wills, let him disbelieve.” We have prepared for the oppressors such a fire that its walls of flame surround them all around. When they cry out (from thirst) and ask for help, they are helped with water like molten mineral that burns their faces. What an evil drink it is! Hell is a terrible place to rest.

30. As for those who believe and do good deeds, We do not waste the reward of those who do good deeds.

31. For them are the gardens of Eden, beneath which rivers flow. There they will sit on thrones, be adorned with golden bracelets, and wear green clothes made of fine and thick silk. What a beautiful response! What a beautiful place to rest in heaven!

Cleopatra’s Gate

As Evliya Çelebi said, this door is exactly in the shape of a horseshoe. Once upon a time, Clepatra and her lover, Roman General Antonius, met here. At that time, they called this place Cleopatra’s Gate because it passed through the Sea Gate and met here.

There are many places to visit in Tarsus, but most of them are close to each other. In the town centre, there is the Ulucami, right next to it is the Kırkkaşık covered bazaar, opposite it is the old bathhouse, behind it is the tomb of Bilal-i Habeşi, at the end of the street is the tomb of Prophet Danyal and the sheriff mosque, then the museum and the old madrasa. Tarsus waterfall, Shahmeran statue in the bazaar, grape statue, St. Paul church and Cleopatra gate are also very close to each other.

I categorized it according to the trip so that it will be useful for those who want to go.

ULU MOSQUE or Cami-i Nur

Since it was Friday time, the mosque was full. We waited in the garden until the congregation dispersed. Thank God, there was a shadow from the minaret, but the heat did not get to our heads. As we were entering the mosque to visit the mosque after everyone had left, someone came to us and asked how we were. Turns out he was the former imam of the mosque and the father of the current muezzin.

He explained the architectural features of the mosque one by one. The Grand Mosque seems to shout that it is a Seljuk structure in terms of architectural style. It is very similar to the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus with its unique stone structure used in the Syrian region. It was built in a rectangular style and long in width so that many people could receive the reward of praying in the front row. The mosque was under restoration until April 17. The Directorate of Museums has renovated everything about this rare work.

Many parts of this 900-year-old giant work have been restored to its original state. Many columns have been replaced and the old columns are exhibited in the garden.

The marble workmanship on the altar is so original that it is not a paste-on. The marble carvings were made together with the monolithic mihrab and pulpit. The first row of carved teeth on the mihrab, the 6 carved motifs, indicate the 6 conditions of faith, and the next 5 carvings indicate the conditions of Islam.

Our ancestors, who put their signature on every work with elegance, established a perfect system before the Ottoman Empire was founded, and kindness and elegance emanate from every aspect. He has invested in places of worship for every generation, as well as his grandchildren. The 74th verse of the Surah Isra is written in this calligraphy at the entrance of the door. Its meaning is “Every person acts according to his own character and character.” Our ancestors also did things in line with their own character, embracing the future 9 centuries later.

Our ancestors also showed their strong character by giving importance to spiritual guidance. Considering that period, it is possible to say that the concept of mosque was the greatest area of ​​socialization. The person who built the mosque wrote a small inscription on the edge of the column. I don’t remember the exact inscription, but he prayed in his own way, saying may God have mercy on the person who did this, and asked for forgiveness and pardon from my Lord. May God be pleased with him.

This lamp inside is so original and so functional. Because the centers of gravity are equal, the more you pull the ball on the lamp, the more it goes up or down. Thus, a good solution has been found for the lighting of the mosque; it can be either dim or bright.

The plate-like thing on another lamp catches and cleans the soot of the oil lamps burning in the mosque.

Uncle Imam then showed us the place of Lokman Hekim and the place of Hazrat Sit, the son of Prophet Adam, inside the mosque. It is located in the left section of the mosque. There is also a sarcophagus (that is, a grave), and here is the grave of Me’mun, son of Harun Reşit. Just outside the mosque is the tomb of Sheikh Muhammad Hasani, one of the Kadiri Sheikhs.

One of the old alms boxes in the mosque

Behind the mosque is the maqam and mosque of Bilali Habeshi. We couldn’t enter because it wasn’t open. On the way to this mosque, we pass through Kırkkaşık bazaar.

There is a restaurant and a few handicraft shops here. I don’t know how long ago it was called, soup was served to 40 people here every day and spoons. There are also 40 spoon figures outside the bazaar. Some say that its name comes from here. Tarsus is an old but timeless civilization. This covered bazaar was built by İbrahim Bey, the son of Piri Pasha from the Ramazanogulları principality, in 1579.

It has a total of 25 rooms and 7 domes.

MAKAMI SHERIF MOSQUE and TOMB OF THE PROPHET DANIYAL

Tarsus is a city of culture and stone. You know, if you dig a little in the ground in Çanakkale, you will definitely find a beehive and remnants of war; In Tarsus, the ground is full of ruins of the Byzantine Empire. There is a lot left to us from Byzantium, one of the most magnificent empires in the world. Hazrat Daniel is a great prophet whose name we cannot see in the Quran, but whose existence has been revealed to us from various sources.

As far as I read from Samarkand Magazine, he served at the same time as Prophet Irmiya, a descendant of Prophet Jacob. A few years ago, by a strange coincidence, the grave of Hazrat Danyal was found. It was understood that the coins found during the excavations belonged to the period of Hazrat Omar. This proves the accuracy of the news that has reached us that Hazrat Omar passed a river over the grave of Prophet Daniel to protect it from the Jews.

The Kubad Pasha madrasah right across the street defies the years.

The Old Hammam is located in the town centre, right across from the Grand Mosque.

St. Paul’s Church and its well

Saint Paul was born into a Jewish family. First of all, he fought hard with Christians to prevent the spread of Christianity. He chose the right path when he saw Jesus Christ in his dream one night.

Then we moved towards Tarsus Waterfall, constantly wandering around it and looking for a waterfall. But later we saw that it did not flow much due to drought. We bought turnips from the turnip sellers right next to the Cleopatra gate at the entrance of the city. Of course I didn’t drink. The tiny statues and monuments in this city are also very interesting. We saw the white grape statue, Shahmeran fountain and many other statues. I’m always ready to travel, but my stomach was ringing when I was traveling so much.

After visiting the San Antonio church, we had our fill at the Anatolian restaurant while searching for its well. Lahmacun was superb. We enjoyed the view in the strong Antakya wind.

Apart from this
Bac Bridge, Martyrs Monument, Silk Road, Nusret Mine ship, Ancient Roman road,
Berdan Baraji Baraji, Mencik Baba Tomb, Donuktaş and Altından Geçme are among the places to visit. Tarsus’s white grapes and must were also on the list of things to taste.