Zeyne

Zeyne

(Sütlüce)
Town
Zeyne mosque
Zeyne
Location in Turkey
Coordinates: 36°26′N 33°32′E
Country Turkey
ProvinceMersin Province
DistrictGülnar
Government
 • BodyZeyne Municipality
Elevation
360 m (1,082 ft)
Population
 (2012)
 • Total1,882
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code
33720
Area code(s)0324
Licence plate33

Zeyne is a town in Mersin Province, Turkey

Geography

Zeyne at 36°26′N 33°32′E is a part of Gülnar district which in turn is a part of Mersin Province. It is 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) west of Göksu River with an altitude of 360 metres (1,180 ft) above sea level. Distance to Gülnar is 26 kilometres (16 mi) and to Mersin is 151 kilometres (94 mi). The population was 1721 as of 2012.[1]

History

History of Zeyne is intermingled with that of Gülnar. During the Middle Ages it was a part of the Karamanid beylik (principality). After the Karamanids were defeated by the Ottoman Empire it was incorporated into the Ottoman realm in the 15th century. In 1972 the location was renamed as Sütlüce and declared to be a township. The new name was not widely accepted and the government decided to return to the former name in 2007 [2]

Sheik Ali Semerkandi (Ali of Semerkand) is an important figure of Zeyne history. He was a Muslim religious leader in Semerkand (modern Uzbekistan) According to legend, he travelled to Anatolia and settled in Zeyne in 1434. He stayed in Zeyne and Karaman for the rest of his life and died in Zeyne in 1457. A mosque had been built next to his tomb in Zeyne. There is a spring just east of the town where very old monumental trees (Turkish: Anıt ağaçlar) have been grown. According to mythology that spring was created by Ali Semarkandi.[3]

Economy

The town is a typical agricultural town. Olives and various fruits like apricots, figs and grapes are produced. Dairying is also an important economic activity.[4]

References
  1. TurksatArchived September 27, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  2. Official paper (in Turkish)
  3. Mersin Municipality page (in Turkish) Archived October 9, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  4. Gülnar page (in Turkish)
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