Tag: seyhan

The River Runs from It

M's Adventures

Adana is distinctive for its river which runs through it and along the old town. The number one pastime for Adanalis (people from Adana) is to “grill” or picnic. They will set up wherever they think will be nice. Many spots along the river and lake have setups for grilling. I have been trying to “breakfast my way around the lake” because the views are so aquamarine. I love it.

The Seyhan Lake is an artificial lake that was created by the dam (and hydroelectric station) which opened in 1956 to protect old Adana, 15 kilometers to the south.

The lake is a popular place for restaurants, fishing, kayaking, and much more. Many nightclubs and shisha bars line the lake. One can drive around the lake (and on this site, one can learn more about the lake and the activities available.)

Kayaking in Adana

M's Adventures
Lovely sunset on Seyhan Dam Lake.

The Seyhan river flows through Adana and after it was dammed, a lake was created. Now, that lake is surrounded by residences, restaurants, and boating clubs. One of these is the kayak club of Adana.

We went for a sunset kayak. The place is a bit hard to find but once you know, it’s easy. The outing cost 300 Lira per person. This included the instructions, rental, lifejacket loan, and shepherding by the staff. It was late by the time we all got there, so our time was cut short. I recommend going earlier. There were changing rooms, bathrooms, and water available (for purchase).

That said, it was pleasant to see the sun set and listen to the music thumping across the water from the restaurants.

The club house.

In the middle of the lake is a small island called Love Island. I don’t know why and we were told not to go ashore.

The two young men who helped us spoke no English but we communicated via Google translate, sort of. They helped us get in the kayaks of which there were a few singles, a few doubles, and a few old school slim ones — or as they said, “you will fall” ones… our most experienced kayakers took those. They did not tip over.

Getting into the kayaks was interesting as they two young men (one was 16 and the other 18) helped people get in by stepping in sideways from the dock… then sitting down into the wet bottomed boat… I guess that the bank of the shore was too sludgy to get in from there.

The dock area.

Over all, an enjoyable activity.

From Rome to New Rome to Before Rome

M's Adventures
The Roman Stone Bridge with the Sabanci Central Mosque in the background.

A few years ago, I lived in Rome, Italy. For the past two years, I lived in the “new Rome” of Washington, DC, in the USA. Now, I have moved to a place that is still connected to Rome (after all, all roads…) but it’s also near history from before Rome. (Rome was founded in 753 BCE). I’ve moved to Adana, Türkiye.

A “simit” vendor on the Roman Stone bridge.

Despite being a city of two million people, Adana is a less famous than Istanbul (Istanbul is 575 miles/925 kilometers from Adana) but Istanbul is its own universe.

Adana kebab is minced meat. It is the most famous dish from Adana.

I’ve moved somewhere famous for its kebab (More on that later). Adana is also known for its Roman stone bridge (Taşköprü in Turkish), and more recently for being near the location of another famous bridge (Varda Viaduct) featured in a recent James Bond movie. But there are over 12,000 years of history in this area of the world including the famous Göbekli Tepe, from 9500-8000 BCE.

There is so much to explore. I look forward to the adventure!