Liman Castle
The walls surrounding the peninsula to the south of the city and the remains of a castle can still be seen today.
View on map8 places to visit in the Aydıncık district of Mersin: Kelenderis Antik Kenti (Kelenderis ancient city), Aydıncık Plajları and Liman Castle. Plan your trip to Aydıncık with local food, practical tips and transport information.
Aydıncık is a district of Mersin Province, set on the slopes of the easternmost branch of the Taurus Mountains where they run down to the Mediterranean coast. It covers 352 km² and lies 13 metres above sea level. In antiquity the district was known as Kelenderis, and it has been home to several civilisations.
History
According to myth, Kelenderis was founded by the Phoenicians, who were advanced in seafaring and trade. The city was ruled by the Hittites, Assyrians, Sisamians, Seleucids, Egyptians, Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans. Kelenderis first flourished in the 5th and 4th centuries BC, and its own coinage began to appear in the 5th century BC. In 1228, Ertokuş Bey, one of the commanders of Karamanoğlu Alaeddin Bey, took Kelenderis Castle from the Armenians and settled Turks there. The Greeks of the district left via Cyprus for Greece under the population exchange.
Geography
Aydıncık lies on the Mediterranean coast of the Mediterranean Region, on the slope of the easternmost branch of the Taurus Mountains. It is 173 km from Mersin city centre. Gülnar lies to the north, Silifke to the east, Bozyazı to the west and the Mediterranean to the south. The district’s coastline is 38 km long and, though not as indented as the Aegean coast, is irregular. From Taşmasa, a hill overlooking the district centre, a mountain range running parallel to the coast east of the centre can be seen extending into the Mediterranean, forming Sancak Cape. Between Sancak Cape and Büyükalan there are 4 small islands: Yelkenliada, Küçükada, Büyükada and Yılanlıada.
History and Culture
In antiquity the city, known as Celenderis, Kelenderis and Gilindire, developed into an important port city because of its location closest to Cyprus. Aydıncık became a separate district in 1987, when it was split from Gülnar. The ancient writer Apollodorus notes that Kelenderis was founded by Sandokos from Syria. Archaeological excavations have uncovered Seleucid-period ceramics and a Roman-period theatre and monumental tomb. Kelenderis first flourished in the 5th and 4th centuries BC. The Dört Ayak monumental tomb is dated to the late 2nd or early 3rd century AD.
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