Aydıncık, Mersin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Aydıncık
Settlement
Map showing Aydıncık District in Mersin Province
Aydıncık, Mersin Location in Turkey
Country	Turkey
Province	Mersin
Area	352 km2 (136 sq mi)
Population  (2022)	11,468
• Density	32.58/km2 (84.38/sq mi)
Time zone	TRT (UTC+3)
Postal code	33840
Area code	0324

Aydıncık is a town and district in Mersin Province, Turkey. It's located on the beautiful Mediterranean coast. The area of Aydıncık is 352 square kilometers, and about 11,468 people live there (as of 2022).

Aydıncık is about 173 kilometers from Mersin city and 325 kilometers from Antalya. This part of the coastline is mostly untouched and stretches for 38 kilometers, including some sandy beaches. The town itself is spread along the coast near a small point called Sancak Burnu.

In the past, Aydıncık was known by other names. In Armenian, it was called Կելենդերիդա. It was also known as Gilindire, which came from its ancient name, Kelenderis (Greek: Κελένδερις).

History of Aydıncık

Aydıncık is built on the site of an ancient Greek city called Celenderis. This city was a port and a strong fortress in a region known as ancient Cilicia, and later Isauria. It was one of the best harbors on this coast in ancient times because it was easy to defend. Some ancient geographers believed this place marked the start of Cilicia. While there might have been earlier settlements by the Hittites and Assyrians, no proof has been found yet.

Founding of Celenderis

Legend says that Celenderis was founded by Sandocus, a grandson of Phaethon. Sandocus came from Syria and married Pharnace, a princess from Hyria. Their son, Cinyras, later founded the city of Paphos.

Historians believe the city was first settled by the Phoenicians. Later, a group of Ionians from Samos (a Greek island) expanded it. Digs that started in 1986 have found items from as far back as the 8th century B.C., which is when the Samians arrived.

Celenderis in Ancient Times

The city was very successful during the 4th and 5th centuries BC. It was an important stop for ships traveling between the Aegean Sea in the west, Cyprus in the south, and Syria in the east. In the 450s B.C., the fleets of Athens sailed past Celenderis on their way to help rebellions against the Achaemenid Empire (the ancient Persian Empire) in Cyprus and Egypt.

During this time, Celenderis became the easternmost city to pay taxes to the Delian league. This was a group of Greek city-states led by Athens. However, Celenderis only paid taxes from 460 B.C. to 454 B.C. After that, Athens stopped its campaigns and made a peace agreement. This agreement meant Celenderis remained part of the Kingdom of Cilicia, which was allied with the Achaemenid Empire.

Roman and Medieval Periods

During the Hellenistic era (around the 1st century BC), Celenderis was allied with the kingdom of the Ptolemys in Egypt. The city faced big problems from pirates. This issue continued until Ancient Rome took military action against the pirates. After the Romans secured the Mediterranean trade routes, Celenderis became rich again. The Romans built a city around the port with fancy homes, palaces, water systems, and public baths.

The city remained grand during the Middle Ages. It was controlled by the Byzantine Empire, and in the 11th century, by the Armenians. In 1228, the Karamanoğlu Beylik (a Turkish principality) captured Celenderis castle from the Armenians. Turkish people then settled along the coast. The town's name changed to Gilindere. It continued to be an important port between Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) and Cyprus until the early 1900s. The town was officially renamed Aydıncık in 1965.

Celenderis Coins

The town of Celenderis gave its name to a region called Celenderitis. It also made its own silver coins called tetradrachms. These coins are some of the earliest and most beautiful examples of coin art. You can also find coins from Syrian kings and later Roman emperors that were used here.

Places of Interest in Aydıncık

Not many remains of ancient Celenderis are visible today. The modern town of Aydıncık has grown over most of the old ruins. However, you can still see parts of old walls around the modern lighthouse on the small piece of land that forms the harbor.

About 1.6 kilometers to the west, there is a bay called Soguksu with a famous spring. Here, you can find ancient ruins, including a bath at the head of the bay and other old pieces on the peninsula at its entrance. There are also impressive but damaged rock-cut tombs at Duruhan, about 9.6 kilometers to the North.

In 2002, the remains of a 2400-year-old harbor were found underwater near Yılanlı Island.

The Port Bath

This bath was likely built during the fourth or fifth centuries AD. The castle on the point and the theater also seem to be from the Roman era.

Tombs

In the ancient graveyards of the city, you can see different types of tombs. These include rock-cut graves, vaulted graves (with arched roofs), and monumental graves with pyramid-shaped roofs. These tombs cover a long period, from the sixth millennium B.C. up to the fourth century AD. Most of the items displayed in the local museum come from these graves.

Floor Mosaic

A beautiful mosaic was found near the port in 1992. It's special because it shows a picture of the city as it looked in the fifth century.

The Dörtayak Cenotaph

There is a large Roman Cenotaph with four columns from the 2nd century. A cenotaph is a monument built to remember a person or people who are buried somewhere else, often those who died in war. This one was marked on an old map of Chelindreh harbor.

This monument is a "tetrapylon," meaning it has four main parts. It's made of well-cut limestones. It has a rectangular burial room at the bottom, with four tall pillars built on top. These pillars support arches that hold up a pyramid-shaped roof. This style was common during the Roman period and likely dates to the late 2nd or early 3rd century AD.

Gilindire Cave

The cave of Gilindere is about an hour's boat ride along the coast. It's 555 meters long and filled with beautiful stone and crystal formations.

Neighbourhoods

There are 15 neighbourhoods in Aydıncık District: