Karataş
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- For İzmir's historic Jewish neighborhood of the same name, see Karataş, İzmir.
| Karataş | |
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| Country |  Turkey |
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| Region | Mediterranean |
| Province | Adana |
| Area | |
| - Total | 922 km² (356 sq mi) |
| Population | |
| - Total | 9,000 |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| - Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
| Postal code | 01x xx |
| Licence plate | 01 |
| Website: www.karatas.gov.tr | |
Karataş is a town and district of Adana Province, on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, 47km from the city of Adana, between the rivers of Seyhan and Ceyhan. The town of Karataş has a population of 9,000 (in 2004), with another 23,000 living in surrounding villages.
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[edit] History
The area has been inhabited from at least Hittite times and probably earlier. It was later part of the Assyrian province of Quwê (Que). By the time of the Greeks there was a port here supplying an important military and trading route through Cilicia, and also providing access to the sea for the towns along the Ceyhan River. The Greeks knew the city as Megarsos; the Romans as Megarsus.
The port was later conquered by the Arab armies during the growth of Islam and then by the Ottomans in 1517.
Karataş was occupied by French troops during World War I.
[edit] Places of interest
- The ruins of churches, caravanserai, and an amphitheatre. However the ancient monuments remain to date in lack of proper research or preservation.
- The inlet of Akyatan is a breeding ground for many birds and the loggerhead sea turtles Chelonia Mydas and Caretta Caretta. Karataş is particularly important in the case of the latter, which are endangered species who lay eggs only in Akyatan, another beach in neighboring Yumurtalık district and İztuzu Beach in Dalyan in southwestern Turkey.
[edit] Karataş today
Today Karataş is known for its fishing industry and as a place where Adana's inhabitants can easily access to relax on the beach. There are also rich farmlands behind the coast where cotton, watermelons, melons and other crops are grown.
The footballer Hasan Şaş is from Karataş and has a street named after him in memory of his excellent performance for Turkey national football team during the 2002 World Cup.
Brussels-based painter Nazife Can is also from Karataş.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- District governor's official website (Turkish)
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