Adana

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Adana old market and clocktower (34271945161) (2), Adana, Adana, Turkey

Kuruköprü Church, front view, Adana, Adana, Turkey

Adana Roman Bridge (Taşköprü), Turkey (36694356272), Adana, Adana, Turkey

Adana Sabancı Merkez Camii panoramio, Adana, Adana, Turkey

About Adana

Adana sits on the Seyhan River at the heart of the Çukurova plain, one of the most fertile farming regions in Turkey, and it has the confident character of a big southern city that grew rich on cotton and citrus. For most visitors the first taste of it comes on a skewer: the minced-lamb Adana kebab, grilled over charcoal and served with flatbread, onions and a glass of tangy şalgam.

The river ties the city's long history together. The Roman stone bridge of Taşköprü still crosses the Seyhan near the old quarter, the Ramazanid-era Great Mosque and the bazaar lanes around the Big Clock Tower recall Adana's Ottoman centuries, and the six minarets of the Sabancı Central Mosque rise over the water as the modern landmark. The Tepebağ mound in the centre shows that people have lived here for thousands of years.

Spring is the gentlest season, when the orange groves bloom and the city celebrates with its Orange Blossom Carnival. Seyhan Dam Lake on the northern edge is the local escape for sunsets and lakeside tea, and the Taurus foothills to the north hold the dramatic Varda Viaduct.

Best seasonMarch to May and October to November; July and August are very hot and humid

Ideal stay2 days

ArrivingFly into Çukurova International Airport between Adana and Mersin, or arrive by train on the Mersin-Adana line

11 Things You Shouldn't Miss in Adana

Mosques 3

Sabancı Central Mosque

Opened in 1998 on the west bank of the Seyhan, this is one of the largest mosques in Turkey and the image most people carry home f...

Adana Great Mosque

Known locally as Ulu Cami, this sixteenth-century mosque was built by the Ramazanid dynasty that ruled Adana before full Ottoman c...

Yağ Camii

The Oil Mosque began life as a church dedicated to Saint James and was converted into a mosque in the early 1500s under the Ramaza...

Landmarks 2

Taşköprü Adana

The Stone Bridge over the Seyhan dates back to the Roman era and is counted among the oldest bridges in the world still in use. It...

Büyük Saat Adana

The Big Clock Tower was completed in 1882 and is among the tallest historic clock towers in Turkey, a square brick-and-stone shaft...

Shopping 1

Kazancılar Çarşısı

The coppersmiths' market near the clock tower is one of the most atmospheric corners of old Adana, a tangle of narrow streets wher...

Museums 1

Adana Museum Complex

A former textile factory on the edge of the centre has been turned into a large museum complex, and the city's archaeology collect...

Parks 1

Adana Merkez Park

This large riverside park runs along the west bank of the Seyhan right beside the Sabancı Central Mosque, with lawns, shaded paths...

Nature 1

Seyhan Dam Lake

The reservoir created by the Seyhan Dam spreads across the northern edge of the city and has become Adana's favourite weekend wate...

History 1

Tepebağ Höyük

Rising in the old quarter close to the Stone Bridge, this settlement mound holds layers of human occupation stretching back thousa...

Scenic Drives 1

Varda Viaduct

Built in 1912 for the Baghdad Railway, this stone viaduct spans a deep gorge in the Taurus foothills of Karaisalı district, north...

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Photo credits

Photo: Dosseman, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: John Lubbock, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: Seyhan668, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: halisyalcinkaya, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Photo: Dosseman, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: hakan kozan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Photo: Dosseman, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Seyhan668, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Hulisi Kayacı hulisi, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Dosseman, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Gavin derivative work: MrPanyGoff, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: Zeynel Cebeci, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: John Lubbock, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: Radosław Botev, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 pl

Photo: hakan kozan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Photo: Ugiadam08, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Dosseman, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Incirlikli51, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: hakan kozan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Photo: Dosseman, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Zeynel Cebeci, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: halisyalcinkaya, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Photo: Dosseman, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Zeynel Cebeci, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Ozargun, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Dosseman, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Tarıkkara, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0