Iskenderun... Iskenderun is now a busy commercial centre and an important port of Türkiye. Once called Alexandretta, it was founded by Alexander the Great after his victory over the Persians. Iskenderun has an active, modern life with good hotels, restaurants and cafes among the palm trees by the sea, in addition to its fine location on the shores of a deep bay and at the foot of high Amanos Mountains. The cuisine of Iskenderun is delicious, especially "Kunefe", a desert with cheese in it and eaten hot. Be sure to test it! The best prawns are. To the south of Iskenderun there is Ulucmar (Arsuz), a historical place and holiday town on the coast. You will benefit from the beautiful sandy beaches, sea and sun while you may do watersports as well in one of the hotels or guest houses in a quiet atmosphere. As a contrast, on the way to Antakya there is mountain resort of Sogukoluk, which gives a good opportunity in summer months for a quite holiday. On the way to Adana, you will pass through the large areas of fruit groves which provide all the orange, tangerine, and lemon needs of the whole country. Dortyol (the plain of Issos) is where Alexander the Great won over Darius II and Persians in 330 BC. There is a fortress at Toprakkale built by the Crusaders which is still impressive. 20 km from Iskenderun is Yakacik (Poyas) which preserves a splendid example of Ottoman architecture dating back to the 16th century; the Sokullu Mehmet Pasa Complex with a mosque, bath, bazaar, caravanserai, and medresse in it. Belen, the lovely town at the head of a gorge 15 km south of Iskenderun, looks to be an old settlement, and indeed it is, as archaeological excavations nearby have unearthed evidence of settlements dating back to the time of Hammurabi, king of Babylon. Iskenderun was created after the victory of Alexander the Great over the Persians. It took till the mid 19th century before Iskenderun (than called Alexandretta) reached its commercial importance as a port for the land behind it. There's nothing left of its ancient past but if you wish to spend a few lazy days, Iskenderun is just the place for it. The road around the city didn't look very promising but once in the streets, (all the streets from the road around the city will lead you to the waterfront), the whole picture changed. There're nice little shops, side streets with mosques and minarets with the decor of the green mountains behind it. People are friendly and it's easy to have a chat and a tea. The nicest place is the Ataturk Bulvari, lined with palm trees and a memorial on the waterfront.

Here we found tea gardens, small restaurants, some small boats, the port and the mountains in the distance. Sitting there, listening to the whispering of the waves, we watched beautiful sunsets. The fact that Iskendurun is lacking a big beach might be the reason that mass tourism has not discovered this unique coastline and spoiled it. When you're a beach lover, have your own transport, or use one of the frequent dolmuses, another fine option is Arzus, 30 kilometres south of Iskenderun. It has fine beaches. A fine restaurant is at Iskenderun's Ataturk Bulvari. From the town centre turn left, at the memorial, into the Ataturk Bulvari. It's the first restaurant a few hundred meters on the left. They serve a fine raki sofrasi (raki dinner). Climate in September, about 37 centigrade in the day, around 26 at night with a sea breeze. It seems a lot cooler than the thermometer 'says'. About every hour buses to Adana and Iskenderun, both destinations about two hours.