Karaisalı

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Karaisalı
Location of Karaisalı within Turkey.
Location of Karaisalı within Turkey.
Coordinates: 37°48′N 35°57′E / 37.8, 35.95
Country Flag of Turkey Turkey
Elevation 250 m (820 ft)
Population
 - Total 35,122
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 - Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code 01xx
Area code(s) 0322
Licence plate 01

Karaisalı is a district of Adana Province of Turkey, administratively a part of the Metropolitan Municipality of Adana.

The area contains the reservoirs of Çatalan and Nergizlik. There is a wrestling tournament in the late-April to early-May at Salbaş and a countryside festival in the last week of August at Kızıldağ.

[edit] History

In Roman times there was a city here named Midilli. Following the arrival of the Turks in the area the name was changed to Çeceli and inhabited by the Yüreğir and Menemencioğulları and Ramazanoğulları tribes.

Between 1481 and 1496 the city was controlled by the Mameluks and once these had been defeated by Ottoman sultan Selim I he passed control to the Ramazanoğulları dynasty. The current name Karaisalı was later given in memory of a Ramazanoğulları lord.

The town was not occupied during the Turkish War of Independence in the early 1920s and became a centre of Turkish resistance for the Çukurova area.

[edit] Karaisalı today

Long-term mayor of Adana, Aytaç Durak is from Karaisalı and during his term the district was included in the Metropolitan Municipality of Adana.

[edit] Places of interest

  • The Roman built Milvan Castle in the village of Karakılıç.
  • The silk road caravanserai Kesiri Han in the village of Altınova.
  • Another Roman castle Keçi Kalesi 40km north-east of Karaisalı in the village of Etekli. has commanding views from its hill-top position.
  • The wooded hillside picnic areas of Yerköprü and Kızıldağ.
  • The attractive remote village of Kalayçılar. 7km from the village of Hacılı on a dirt road.
  • The 210m long German built railway viaduct in the village of Hacıkırı (Kıralan).