Stories of the brand of adana

ADANA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

2015

The culture means to read, comprehend, infer from what is seen, take lesson, give thought and develop intelligence.

M. Kemal ATATÜRK

Thanks for the contribution of:

MINISTRY OF CULTURE OF THE

REPUBLIC OF TURKEY

ADANA METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY

ÇUKUROVA UNIVERSITY

CHAMBER OF REGIONAL

TOURIST GUIDES OF ADANA

ŞİRİN PARK HOTEL

PRESENTATIONStories may be the most natural and effective cultural transmission means

that the human being remains one within the other from the very moment when he is born in every part of the world and is affected inevitably. Furthermore, the stories are the indispensable communication elements that are used in every part of the daily life of human being beyond the fact that they are very important cultural transmission means. Just think about at a moment; “we have comprehended lots of things out of “morals of a story” and told lots of things and made sense of lots of other things.

Life is beautiful so long as it reaches significance; probably lots of things will be much better in our life in case we regard the real objective of life to make our lives gain good and pleasant meanings. I can say by taking the remains of the experiments I had experienced during my life that the boundaries of social life has a scope that is much beyond our narrow family, relative, cultural and social environment and extends to the economy, technology and (state) government and even further, to the families, social and cultural structures, economies and lives of the people living in other countries abroad. This scope symbolizing the existence of very different languages, religions, cultures and understandings makes the creation of a common language and good meanings in respect of the establishment of international peace being one of our decisive objectives and societies’ understandings of each other. As is seen, the “stories” are the cultural envoys mediating for these meanings from our point of view in a sense...

We, as a chamber, consider the development of international and inter-communal communication, protection of world peace and increase of its safety as much as of the economy of Adana and progress of the business

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7Stories of the Brand Of Adana

world and businessmen, as important. This is because we are well aware of what has been happening in and around us that there will be no trading and development without the availability of peace and quiet. Therefore, we consider the development of tourism to be important as a sector that will serve this opinion of us in the best way and make very valuable social and economical contributions to our distinguished city of Adana at current period as well as in the future.

The project, titled as “The Stories of the Brand of Adana”, was planned and then, effectuated as one of the primary substructure works of a strategy referring to a social and economical progress and development of good international relations as well as peace and security to be ensured through substantial contribution of the tourism sector...

“The Stories of the Brand of Adana” aimed to provide contribution to the internal and external introduction of Adana, its branding and development of tourism there, and put the foregoing into practice through immense efforts and faith of the joint owners of public and private sectors, mainly office of the governor of Adana, Çukurova University and Metropolitan Municipality of Adana and of course, the participation of the esteemed people of Adana. I would like to take the opportunity for this occasion to thank to all joint owners and contributors one by one and present my deepest respect with the wish for the continuation of our joint participation in various other significant projects for Adana.

Atila MenevşeChairman of the Board

Adana Chamber of Commerce


ADANA on the way of becoming a Significant Tourism Destination....

8 ADANA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The branding in the changing world is equivalent to the positioning. The cities bearing a brand are created at the end of a successful brand positioning. In this respect, such cities bearing a brand are taken into consideration by the inclusion of the criteria of socio-cultural structure of a country beyond all touristic evaluations such as sea-sun and so on only in the changing world. The conception, called by us as a brand positioning, is a concept that is based on the ground of a city bearing a specific brand.

Within this context, bringing the values of our province forth appears to have a significant importance in the way of becoming a city bearing a brand. When one mentions about Adana, the first thing coming to mind is, as is known to all of us, the “Adana Kebab”. We, as the Chamber of Commerce of Adana, had the “Adana Kebab” be registered to the Turkish Patents Institute in 2004 as a geographic sign on the basis of the opinion of the fact that we might bring it in the branding process of our province. By doing so, we ensured this value bearing the same original taste to be transmitted or transferred to the future generations and even further to future centuries.

Of course, we are aware of the fact that there are many other things to be done within the scope of this branding process. We, as the Chamber of Commerce of Adana bearing such opinions in mind, assessed what we could do more differently and has been in search of making the story type abstract values be acquired by the tourism and organized a “Contest for the Brand of Adana’s Stories”.

We see lots of examples of this in the places that we visit in our trips abroad. The interesting stories, told with relation to those destinations,remain in our mind and when we return to our country, we tell such stories about the destinations, visited by us in the way of branding, to our

Stories of the Brand Of Adana

Ahmet NevruzThe Secretary General

Adana Chamber of Commerce

spouses, friends, close associates and so on, with great excitement.

It bears a great importance in the event that a tourism region has interesting, pleasant, attractive and exciting stories. Within this meaning, we believe that the bringing interesting stories into light on the subject matters that will leave positive traces in minds with relation to Adana and use of these stories in the tourism introduction campaigns and branding works will make contribution to Adana to have a specific brand in the tourism.

The participation from various age groups in the contest, organized by us, was ensured with various stories bearing the subject of Adana. The assessment of fictional stories reflecting Adana in an interesting and positive manner might be related to both the events, experienced in the history and locations/destinations, people (indigenes), legends, fairytales, epics, mythologies of Adana and so on, has been made by a jury consisting of experts and concluded accordingly and this book was created by the compilation of works that are deemed to be convenient for publication.

Our aim in the publication of this book is not to restrict or limit the tourism values of Adana with the sea, history and kebab criteria but to introduce our province, which we spend immense effort in order to make it become a tourism destination in near future, to domestic and foreign tourists with different points of view. I would like to thank the participants of the contest and everybody, who made contribution and spent effort for the preparation of this book with my belief that this publication consisting of a total number of 26 stories will provide positive reflections in the tourism of Adana.

9Stories of the Brand Of AdanaADANA CHAMBER

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From Editors


The stories indicate any life experiences that have been lived or may be lived in anyway. The experiences, however, are listened with interest when they are told in a narrative manner and give excitement and activate people. In case you may want to test the amazing power of the story, then, ask your friend, who is just beside you or appears in front of you saying “Do you know what happened to me in the morning?” You will then see that your friend will focus on listening to the story, experienced by you in the said morning.

We take advantage of the power of story in every part of our life either with or without being aware of it. Our children fall asleep with the stories. Our sellers persuade their customers through the stories, acquainted and easily understood by them. Our teachers make their students acquire new knowledge and pleasant virtue by taking advantage of power of the stories.

Our tourist guides convert the “piles of stones” into a “matchless value” that may be described by the tourists as follows: for instance, astonishing, extraordinary, and a kind of statement “luckily I have come and seen”.

At current period, there is a very important place of the stories in the success of destinations attracting maximum numbers of tourists. This is because it is the destination that has its own story attracts its own tourists. Is it not the secret of the “stories” of Egypt that converts it into the most attractive tourism destinations? On the other hand, what about “Forbidden City (China)”, Paris, Cappadocia, Troy, Ancient Greece, Sparta and so on?...

The stories make products and destinations gain meaning; and also differentiate them from others and support their brandings. It turns out to be possible to narrate the stories both to the local people (indigenes) and tourists. Furthermore, they are included in scenarios and become the subject of films. Beside the states of the stories, such as ”Troy”, that are converted into films addressing to us as adults, the legendary land road


“Route 66” in the USA and states of the conversion of stories, experienced for years over it, into an animation film, called as “Cars”, can be watched with significant interest.

It is aimed with the work in your hand to bring our Adana’s stories being a significantly important cultural component in respect of the branding and introduction of Adana and development of its tourism, and a non-concrete cultural heritage factor, into light with the contributions of the own people of Adana. In this direction, an additional step has been made in order to create awareness within the minds of the people of Adana for the Adana’s stories and its tourism.

A participation referring to the number of 58 stories in total bearing real or fictional nature have been effectuated in the Contest for the Stories of the Brand of Adana, organized by the Chamber of Commerce of Adana (“ATO”).

Non-anonymous ones of these participations coming from the Adana’s people naturally are in nature, written down generally with an amateur spirit. Despite of this, 26 stories that you may read in the next chapters of this book and may be narrated to some tourists, and be used in the introductory campaigns of Adana, and be at a level to be taken advantage for the development of film scenarios bearing the theme of Adana and/or citizenship of the same, have been obtained and also collected by the ATO into a book as a contribution to the “written urban memory” of Adana.

It is definite that there will be consecutive ones of this work in the future periods and the material that are much more convenient for the objective in respect of the introduction of Adana, development of its tourism and branding through the works bearing higher quality.

We hereby indicate that we have the joy and pride to make contribution to this work that has been initiated by the ATO through taking the importance of the stories as a basis and is regarded by us as a significantly proper commencement, and congratulate the ATO’s management, joint owners of the project, the people of Adana, who made contribution by sending stories to the project, and all those individuals and organizations having spent effort for the projects in various ways.


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ContentsName and Sender of the Story Page no.1. A LOVE STORY AT TAŞKÖPRÜ: SILHOUETTE OF LOVEStory, sent by Serhat Efe UZUNAĞAÇ

2. STORY OF THE CLOCK TOWERStory, sent by Selahattin KALLİ

3. A KARAKAŞ STORY: SEASHORE IN DREAMStory, sent by Bıçkın TEMEL

4. A STORY OF ADANA ON STORKS and SWALLOWSStory, sent by RAMAZAN SARIBOĞA

5. STORY OF THE KYRENIA BRIDGE: THE KENNEDY BRIDGEStory, sent by Emel METİN SARIBOĞA

6. BULLIES OF ADANA: MELEZ AHMET, İNCE CUMALİ, JİLET RECAİStory, sent by Hakkı BÜYÜKMERTOĞLU

7. ADEN(A) PARADISEStory, sent by Suzan YAVUZ

8. ANAVARZA LEGENDStory, sent by Şule AKSOY

9. ATATÜRK MADE HIS DECISION ON THE LIBERATION WAR IN ADANAStory, sent by Gonca ASLANKARADEDE

10. STORY OF BOSNIAN SEIGNEUR SALİH (EFFENDİ) MANSIONStory, sent by Nuri NOHUT

11. BRIDE STONE LEGENDStory, sent by Sinem ÖZ

12. Primeval Remedy: STORY OF A ÇERÇİ (PEDDLER HERBALIST) YUSUFStory, sent by Polen ÇERÇİ

13. STORY OF KURUKÖPRÜStory, sent by ORHAN ÖZONUR

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14. STORY OF LOKMAN HEKIM, KING OF ANATOLIA AND IMMORTALITY ELIXIRStory, sent by Hacer ARSLAN

15. LOKMAN HEKIM LEGENDStory, sent by Işık IŞIK

16. LOKMAN HEKIM LEGEND: BOWL AND SNAKEStory, sent by Nuriye ASLANKARADEDE

17. MİSİS BY SNAKE, CEYHAN BY WIND, ADANA BY FLOODING...Story, sent by Nesrin ŞAHİN

18. YOU ARE MY ADANA: STORY OF A ADANA’S RESIDENT FOR DECLARATION OF LOVE Story, sent by Yasin SEMİZ

19. STORY OF SULAR DISTRICT Story, sent by Erşan AKÇINAR

20. TAŞKÖPRÜ: STORY OF A BRIDGE BRINGING THE LOVERS TOGETHERStory, sent by Ümit ÇALIŞICI

21. ARCHES OF TAŞKÖPRÜStory, sent by Emel ARSLAN BÜYÜKMERTOĞLU

22. STORY OF TAŞKÖPRÜStory, sent by Şenel DEMİREL

23. STORY OF A LOVE PRAYER: SEEDS OF WISHESStory, sent by Dursaliye ŞAHAN

24. STORY OF GOVERNOR ZİYA PASHAStory, sent by M. Demirel BABACANOĞLU

25. STORY OF VARDA BRIDGEStory, sent by Ferhat KARA

26. REFUSE IS REFUSE: STORY OF A WORDING SPECIFIC TO ADANAStory, sent by Selçuk ONUR

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Name and Sender of the Story Page no.

Stories of the Brand Of AdanaADANA CHAMBER

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A LOVE STORY AT TAŞKÖPRÜ: SILHOUETTE OF LOVE

Taşköprü (Stone Bridge), Kozan, Love.

Title of the Story

Story, sent by

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Theme

Awarded with the Top Prize at the Contest for the Brand of Adana Stories.

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Serhat Efe UZUNAĞAÇ



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According to the hearsays, there was a very beautiful daughter of the king of Kozan. Everybody, who dropped by Kozan Castle, heard about the beauty of that girl but no one could manage to see her.

A young boy, who was affected a lot by what he heard about her,

wrote a letter and managed to convey the letter to her somehow and started to wait for the girl to answer his letter. Then, days, weeks and month elapsed and one day the young girl sent an answer by saying.

“Young man, I don’t know who you are and have no idea about you and there is no need to meet you either, however, the letter you wrote is very cordial and intimate.” Of course, young man wrote the second letter and another answer, and then, subsequent letters and so on, thus, various years passed by.

Then, one day, the girl wrote in his letter that she was curious about the young man and desired to meet him at Taşköprü bringing the lovers together. She indicated in the letter that she would be holding a blue rose in hand with the aim to enable the young man to notice her.

Afterwards, the young man went to the meeting place early in the day and started waiting for her. Suddenly, he saw that a very nice girl was coming over the bridge. She was so nice that he admired the glorious face of her and spent every possible effort to approach her. The girl came close to the young man slowly and passed by with a smile at him. Behind her, however, an old woman was coming up with a blue rose having held in hand.

The young man looked at the nice girl passing by as if saying “Please don’t go!” and glanced at the old woman with begging looks.


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Then, he wanted to go to the woman whose words he fell in love with and afterwards, started walking to the old woman. When he approached her, he shook her hand and said “Hello” and then, introduced himself.

Afterwards, the old woman started to talk saying “My son, I don’t know who you are. A young girl gave me this rose while she was holding in her hand at the bridgehead and asked me to walk in.” and pointed out the beautiful girl, passed by on the other side of the young man a while ago.

When the young boy turned back, he saw that outstanding beauty having opened her arms and smiled at him. He was so excited and suddenly dithered so strongly.

They came to the middle of the bridge and put their arms around each other, and life stopped for both at that very moment because both of their hearts stood still and after a while, people intervened in and it was understood that both of them were dead. Then, the people of Adana did not separate those two lovers and buried them together.

According to what is said in and around the region, when the moonlight reflects into Taşköprü (Stone Bridge) in the first full moon, a blue silhouette reflects into the waters of the River Seyhan, and this silhouette where both lovers embrace each other can only be seen by genuine lovers.

If you are genuinely in love, you can attentively look at the waters of the River Seyhan over Taşköprü at a full moon night and see the reflecting silhouette of both lovers. That’s it.....




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Awarded with the Second Prize at the Contest for the Brand of Adana Stories.3

STORY OF THE CLOCK TOWER

Big Clock (Büyüksaat), Atatürk.

Name of the Story

Story, sent by

Theme

Selahattin KALLİ

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Many years ago from now, there was a watch maker in the one of the coastal cities of Mediterranean, Adana. This watch/clockmaker saw a kid with blond hair in his dream. The kid told him about some places and asked him to make a watch for him.

When the clockmaker woke up in the morning, he went to the place that was described by the kid in his dream and looked around trying to find the kid with blond hair.

Another person was tangling around over there as well, as if he was looking for someone else and approached the clockmaker with a comfort of having found what he was after and told him “Look man! You will make the clock just here”.

The clock/watchmaker was trying to understand what was going on in deep astonishment. The man immediately started to talk and told him about the dream of him (clockmaker) at that night and what the kid with blond hair asked for him in comprehensive details. The curiosity of the clockmaker kept arising more and more, and he could not stand any further and asked nosily:

‘Heyyy! Who are you man? How can you know about this much properly what has happened in my dream?’ Then, the man answered him:

“I am the seigneur of these places. While you were having that dream last night, I was just behind you and watched all what has happened.” The clockmaker:

“I am the one, who will make this clock. What will you do, then?” The seigneur told him in reply:

“You are the maker of this clock. I am, however, the one, who will order you to make this clock.” and indicated to him that he has taken up to pay all expenses of the clock.


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Then, it was started to make the clock and after a short while, the clock was completed but the secret of this work has neither been understood by the clockmaker nor by the ruler. The clockmaker and seigneur got old as the time passed by. Various years passed by and one day, a Pasha with blond hair came in Adana. This Pasha was the founder of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Pasha, who has enabled a nation to rise from its ashes like a Phoenix.

The Pasha, who was welcomed by an overwhelming enthusiasm of the people in Adana, became so happy and made a speech to the people under the clock tower at the public square of the city.

At the end of his speech, he asked about of the clockmaker and the person, who ordered it. Both of them, the clockmaker and seigneur, who were not as young as the ones used to be, came out and said “It is us!”. On that day the “Blond Child” listened to the story of the clock from the clockmaker and seigneur under the clock tower that he marked years ago. The man with blond hair thanked both of them with a slight smile on face after listening of the story and quitted that place.

The clockmaker and seigneur, who noticed the reality after the elapse of years after having made the clock talked to themselves saying:

“We didn’t make a clock only in 1881 (the date/year of the birth of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who is the founder of Turkey). We revealed to the people that it was time for the arrival of a brave saviour, who will change the fate of this nation. What a joy and happiness for us to see the arrival of the real owner of the clock.” and then, set off the road to go to their homes talking with each other.



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AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDDDDANANNANNNANNNNANNANANANAANAAAAAAAAAAANA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA


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Awarded with the Third Prize at the Contest for the Brand of Adana Stories.4

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A KARATAŞ STORY: SEASHORE IN DREAM

Karataş.

Bıçkın TEMEL

Name of the Story

Story, sent by

Theme

4



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It is said that this event, happened in the town of Adana, Karataş , was based on ages ago. When the climate and geographical structure of the region is taken into consideration, it is not really known whether this story of fishes giving inspiration to the development of fishery in Karataş is a reflection of the mystery within the sea or understanding of navigation remains in the forefront....

In previous times, a group of tourists, who came in Adana and discovered the historical structure of the city, visited the town of Karataş. A couple from this group rented a summer residence as a result of the antique and calming structure of the town. While this couple visited the coastal area and historical sites of Karataş, located at the region on the one hand, they also experienced a feast of taste for themselves with the well-known fishes of the area on the other.

The couple, who were rather elderly, suffered from certain rheumatic diseases and joint disorders and had problems in walking.

One night, the female tourist saw a school of fishes at silver colour in her dream spreading unbelievable lights along the coast at full moon time. The female tourist, who approached the fishes, noticed that she became young when she tried to touch them and returned to her ages of twenties. When she woke up, she was shy of mentioning about this to her spouse.

After a while, the couple, who went on a walk along the coastal area, noticed something shining in the sea. This couple, who firstly thought that what they saw in the sea, was the reflection of moonlight into the sea, noticed that the gleam was approaching them more and more.

The female tourist suddenly realized that the gleam having


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illuminated the night merely belonged to that school of fishes having seen in her dream and headed towards the sea.

Then, she understood together with her spouse that these were the silver fishes and they tried to touch them. When the fishes turned around the couple, a cloud of lights wrapped the couple up. After a while, when the cloud of lights disappeared, the silver fishes disappeared as well.

The female tourist told her husband that she saw that scene a day before in her dream. The couple, who returned home with the astonishment of this incredible event, fell asleep immediately.

They woke up in the morning with the scream of the male tourist. The man, who saw that his spouse was changed entirely and rejuvenated, was terrified and woke her spouse up. The man, who got rid of his astonishment, then, noticed that he has rejuvenated as well.

The couple went out of their residence and narrated the story to the town people, however, they both failed to persuade anybody to believe in their story. Nobody believed among the town people that that couple was elderly in beforehand.

Upon that, the couple set off the road to return home and decided to uncover the mystery of this secret. They bought a boat and went sailing and have never returned back.

According to the hearsays, one never knows that the couple, who is said to be still living and will return one day, might come back to the seashore of Karataş one day together with the silver fishes?....




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A STORY OF ADANA ON STORKS and SWALLOWS

Storg, Swallow, Ashlama (Licorice syrup) Peddler.

Ramazan SARIBOĞA

Name of the Story

Story, sent by

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Awarded with the Honourable Mention ( Prize) at the Contest for the Brand of Adana Stories.

Theme

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I felt that I was hungry while walking from Küçüksaat (Small Clock) to Büyüksaat (Big Clock). I dropped in at a kebab house in the Kazancılar Bazaar. Plenty of green stuffs, puree, shepherd salad and onion salad were offered beside the kebab. While the first sip of turnip juice went through my throat, it left a sharp taste on my tongue.

I bought some orange-flavoured Turkish delights from the confectioner on the road after the dinner. I sat under the date fruits at the park beside the Ulu Mosque and had them one by one.

While I gazed at the elegance of Ramazanoğlu Mansion, I was startled with the gong coming from the Big Clock. It had been already two o’clock.

I passed from the front of the Old Girls High School and walked towards the direction of Taşköprü (Stone Bridge). I watched for a while the attractions of the postcard-like trees at the park having become integrated with the Seyhan River.

A stork flew in the sky and came down, and passed to the Yüreğir side and perched on its nest at the chimney of the historical factory.

I could not have yet decided on my university preference in one way or another, and went out for a walk so that it might help me to make my decision; however, I could not still had made a decision. Everybody told me about something different and therefore, my mind was totally confused.

Then, I walked from the Sabancı Central mosque towards the museum, and then, sat down at the Central Park in order to take a rest after my departure from the museum side. I was thirsty and therefore, bought a glass of ashlama from the peddler ashlama. Then I started to drink the ashlama, with its other name, the liquorice sherbet (sweetened fruit juice).

The liquorice sherbet seller looked at the introduction booklet of the universities in my hand. Then, he started to tell me a story by looking at the storks flying in the air by drawing circles:

“It is story, narrated at this region:

The swallows in Africa sent a messenger to Cukurova Region: “Go and have a look whether the spring came in the Çukurova Plain?”

The swallow that has noticed that the crops were grown in height have immediately returned in order to give them a piece of good news. On the way of its return, it came across to a messenger stork over Mediterranean skies and then, the Stork asked the swallow “My friend swallow, do you know whether the crops in Çukurova were ripened?”

The swallow answered it with excitement:

“Oh! What are you talking about? Spring came in there even long time ago and the crops grown as much as knee level!”

The messenger stork that heard this news returned on its half-way back in order to give that piece of good news to its flock. The storks that got the mentioned piece of good news arrived in Çukurova after a long journey and noticed that the crops were newly being stooled. They got angry at the messenger stork and said reproachfully: “You told us that the spring had already come in Çukurova and crops were grown up to the knee-level.”

The swallow, as a matter of fact, did not tell lie because the crops were grown but at the knee-level of the swallow. One needed a certain period of time for the crops to grow to the knee level.

“The liquorice sherbet maker told me in a wisely manner: “You’d better not to determine your preferences according to the terms of the other individuals. This story shaped myself up, and my internal world was well illuminated and in comfort.




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A STORY OF KYRENIA BRIDGE:KENNEDY BRIDGE

Kyrenia Bridge, J. F. Kennedy.

Emel METİN SARIBOĞA

Name of the Story

Story, sent by

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Awarded with the Honourable Mention ( Prize) at the Contest for the Brand of Adana Stories.

Theme

6

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The name of the Kyrenia Bridge over the Seyhan River that connects two central towns of Adana to each other is mentioned as the Kennedy Bridge in some maps.

The political events of 1968 had not occurred or experienced yet and the American soldiers having served duty at the NATO base in İncirlik have been easily walking around at the city; even further, some of the soldiers used to reside at the houses, rented at the city centre. Therefore, there were important rises, seen in the economy of Adana having relationships with the USA.

When the President of the United States of America, Mr. John Fitzgeralz Kennedy (JFK), lost his life at the end of an assassination, it is desired to give the name “Kennedy” to that bridge; however, this proposal met with the objection of the local people of Adana as a result of the fact that Kennedy pursued a kind of pro-Greek policies in the Cyprus dispute while he was at the office.

The name of the bridge was changed to “Kyrenia” (Girne in Turkish) in reference with Cyprus. This time, however, another matter in question used to arise. Why a name in Greek has been given to the bridge while it was much reasonable to name the bridge with a word in Turkish?

Anyway although the discussions did not bring any result to the matter in question, the name of the bridge remained as “Kyrenia Bridge”.

The Kyrenia Bridge that is still in use as the oldest bridge of the world and stretches between Taşköprü and Demirköprü is the busiest bridge of the city....


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BULLIES OF ADANA: MELEZ AHMET, İNCE CUMALİ, JİLET RECAİ

Bullies of Adana, Büyüksaat (Big Clock)

Hakkı BÜYÜKMERTOĞLU

Name of the Story

Story, sent by

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The Stories from this story onward is listed on the basis of their alphabetic order in consideration of the story name.

Theme

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Melez Ahmet said: “We have to go to the place of the big clock.”

İnce Cumali stood up without saying “Why?”.

Melez added as saying:“You know, Kamçılı* has picked on the boilermakers in and around Big Clock and Yağ Mosque and forced the shopkeepers to pay him racket. It is necessary to get this dishonest man, who sets his eye on the pocket of the people.”

They started to walk quickly stepping on the heels of their pointy-toed and Cuban-heeled shoes. They crossed the Hergele Square and kept on walking towards Bebekli Kilise (Church) Road. Jilet Recai, who saw the rapid walking of Melez Ahmet and İnce Cumali, joined in them as well. Jilet used to run a cafe at Melek Girmez area and known to be a father for the shopkeepers.

When they arrived in Mestan Hamam (Turkish Bath), Melez Ahmet stopped and then, checked his revolver in his waistband. İnce Cumali used to walk around all the time with two guns. Both of them were loaded at any time and kept ready in a permanent way in his waistband. When these twins(!) came out of his waistband, there was then, no merci for his opponent. Jilet Recai normally used to carry knife on him , but he has never pulled it out of his sheath against anyone.

When they approached to Yağ Mosque, they noticed that some shopkeepers ran away in different directions. They speeded up. A sound of whip was heard from the place of Big Clock. This was the whip of Kel (Bold) Hasan. He was a ruthless man and gangster of landlords and used to cut off the wages of labourers mercilessly under various pretexts. He used to involve in all sorts of wrongdoing against the shopkeepers. Those, who want to seek their rights, used to take their shares from the whip of Kel Hasan. He was from Karşıyaka District and had an office at the villagers’

(open air) market around Taşköprü.

Kel Hasan and his brutal accomplices had destroyed the shops of the shopkeepers at the Kazancılar Bazaar and kept on beating them up. When Melez, İnce and Jilet entered into the Kazancılar Bazaar by way of Asmaaltı side, they saw Kel Hasan whipping up the Master Kirkor, who had fallen down onto the ground. His apprentice, Şehmuz, however, had sat over there and was crying.

Melez Ahmet pulled out his revolvers and shot down two men of Kel Hasan at a moment. Then İnce Cumali drew his twin guns and two more gangsters were already on the ground. Jilet Recai, however, knocked down the man with a huge body through a head butt. Melez Ahmet and Kel Hasan caught each other’s eyes. Kel Hasan could not draw his weapon and as if he was frozen in front of the Kirkor’s shop.

Melez Ahmet took up the whip, fallen on the ground.

Then, he started to beat Kel Hasan with his full strength by saying “You bastard! You deserve to be beaten up by this whip!”.

Kel Hasan tried to run away and got out of Kazancılar Bazaar. They came to the place where Big Clock was situated in. Everybody was watching them. Melez was beating up Kel Hasan as if he was taking the revenge of all innocent people.

Kel Hasan had leaned against the base of the Big Clock. His hands and face was in blood. Almost every part of his body was bleeding. The base of the Big Clock was in blood as well.

Suddenly, voice of Melez Ahmet was heard: “To become a good person is better and honourable than having a good position. You are not a good person. Therefore, I don’t want to see you in Adana any longer” and threw away the whip, held in his hand.



After this incident; no one initiated to get any racket from the shopkeepers of the Kazancılar Bazaar from that day onward in Adana. In the meantime, no one saw Kel Hasan any more in that area.

The blood spot of Kel Hasan on the base of the Big Clock still stands there and it reminds the justice and knight-spirited bullies of Adana.


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ADEN(A) PARADISE

Adn, Aden Paradise, Adana.

Suzan YAVUZ

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According to hearsays, and as is mentioned in holy books and antique Greek and Roman sources, “Aden (Adn) Paradise” (or garden – since paradise refers to the meaning of garden in Arabic language), the wetland, green, fertile, very nice garden, created by God between two riversz, is considered as a spiritual location.

According to some sources, this area takes place between the rivers: Euphrates and Tigris, and to some others, however, between the Rivers: Ceyhan and Seyhan.

Especially the name “Aden”, extraordinary similarity of name in respect of consonants within it (Adn=Adana) and the Aden Garden being the paradise of God within the world make us think that it is “Adana” with its plenty of water, fertile lands and every shade of green, contained within.

Do you not think that the “Aden Paradise” is Adana?


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ANAVARZA LEGEND

Anavarza, Fog (Kozan), Misis.

Şule AKSOY

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Once upon a time, Anavarza was a big city where brave people and nice girls used to live there. It was at a position and had power to resist any potential risk or danger that may come from outside.

There were stone masons having lived in the city at that time, used to ornament houses and squares with stone carvings, and create astonishing and awe-inspiring works.

People went out of the city during the daytime and complete their works in their lands and fields, and in the evening, however, returned to the city. Namely they were living in this nice city in peace.

In evenings, every house filled in with laughter and laments were sung as songs. People were happy and the days used to come and go like this.

The King of Anavarza had a daughter, who was very clever and beautiful. The envoy of the Fog King came to the King of Anavarza and said “I would like to pay my respects to the His Majesty King Anavarza in the name of his Majesty Fog King.” When the King of Anavarza asked: “Ok, tell me what your king requests from us?”, the envoy said: “My King want your daughter to marry his son”. The words of the envoy of the Fog King disturbed the comfort of the King of Sisi and the city.

The King replied the envoy “What happens if I don’t accept the request of your King?”. Then the envoy said “I am on duty here to tell you that if you don’t allow your daughter to get married to the son of my King, he is going to declare war against your Kingdom”.

Upon departure of the envoy of the Fog King, this time, the envoy of Misis’ King was at the door. He came in to ask for the marriage of the daughter of the king to the son of his own King. He made the same requests and tried to intimidate the King with the same kind of threats.

The King of Anavarza was as gentle as a dove and good-hearted man. He could not decide what he would do and was lost in deep thoughts. If he gave his daughter to the son of any of the foregoing, then, the other one would still declare war on his kingdom, maybe he would lose his country. In case he refused to allow her to marry none of them, then it would be necessary for him to fight against the people of two countries. He brooded on this problem seriously.

The daughter had sympathy for her father’s plight extremely. She was grieved to her father, who brooded the problem he faced, and said to him: “Why don’t you tell me what is matter with you, Dad?”

The King answered her in return: “My beloved daughter, pigeon-heeled dear of me, The Fog King sent an envoy and wanted you to get married to his son. In the meantime, the Misis King also sent an envoy and he wants you to get married to his son as well. If I don’t accept their requests, they will declare war against us, and no matter whose proposal I accept, the same thing will still happen. I don’t really know what to do”.

The daughter laughed at what her Father said: “Dad, it is something so simple to tackle”. The father was hopeless and said: This knot cannot be untangled even by the Devil!”

The daughter went on saying, “My King Father, there is nothing easier than this. You’d better tell them: “I can give you my daughter, yes I can.. but I have a condition. The water supply of Anavarza is scare. Whoever brings the plenty of water to our place, he may get my daughter? You tell them like this and don’t care about the rest, then!:”

“The King said: “I had never thought about it. That means we can solve the problem without war.”

“Yes, Dad. Our people live in comfort and peace. I don’t want them to suffer from pains and die because of me.” said the King’s



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daughter.

The envoys of both Kings arrived in Anavarza again to learn about the decision of the King of Anavarza. The King told them “I will allow my daughter to marry to the son of the one, who brings plenty of water to Anavarza. Tell your Kings that it has been my decision”.

The envoys immediately transmitted this decision to their kings. Upon this, the Fog King started to construct the waterway from above and Misis King, however, from below. The Fog King tried to make the waterway from cut stones in a very good and sound manner. As a consequence, the work took time and was delayed.

The Misis king, however, constructed the waterway from mud brick. Therefore, the waterway construction by the Misis people progressed quickly. Then, the girl, who saw that the waterway of the Misis people approaching the city, started to worry deeply. This is because she secretly fancied the son of the Fog King, about braveness of whom she heard about a lot. She sent some people to him and advised: “Don’t sort out good and bad! Hurry up and complete the waterway as soon as possible!”.

But it was a work, made of stone, not like cheese to chop up easily; and not like mud to plaster easily. At the end, the construction of Misis people was completed and water came to the entrance of the city.

Well, the water reached the entrance of the city, but the girl could not endure it and decided to commit suicide and jumped down from high rocky hills.

It is said that from that day onward, Anavarza never had any entertainment. Never again over-joyed laughter were heard from the houses of the city any more.


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ATATÜRK MADE HIS DECISION ON THE NATIONAL LIBERATION WAR IN ADANA!

Atatürk, National Liberation War, Adana.

Gonca ARSLANKARADEDE

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Mustafa Kemal was in Adana on the painful days of the 1st World War, ended up with defeat. He designed the plan of making the Turkish nation to achieve its sovereignty and independence in this city.

He revealed this when he first came to Adana on 15th of March, 1923 following the successful completion and consequent victory of the National Liberation War (“Big Victory”) by saying “the first feeling of this initiative related to this event was born at this place, namely in Adana.”

In this respect, Adana occupies a special place in the military and political life of Atatürk, full of victories.

The pride of Adana is that it is a city where the idea of national independence and sovereignty was formed up in the mind of Atatürk.

Another development that was added to this pride and in the meantime, happiness is that Adana has been the first city that welcomed and embraced the Saviour of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal, following the completion of the Big Victory.

Atatürk visited Çukurova seven times during the period from the successful completion and victory of the National Liberation War until his death. The people of Çukurova have always kept the warm memories, remained from his visits, in the very depth of their hearts.

The visit, paid by Mustafa Kemal, in March of 1923 was full of colourful memories. He paid his first visit to Adana following the Big Victory.

It has been the people of Adana, who saw him first after the Big Victory, and the last place, visited by him during his deadly illness, has been Adana as well.


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STORY OF BOSNIAN SEIGNEUR SALİH (EFFENDİ) MANSION

Bosnian Seigneur Salih (Effendi), Bosnian Seigneur Salih (Effendi) Mansion

Nuri NOHUT

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The Bosnian Seigneur Salih (Effendi), who was born in Mostar in 1865, migrated to Turkey together with all his assets as a result of a political tension, experienced in Balkans. Seigneur Salih (Effendi), who noticed loam and fertile lands in Adana during his visit there, settled down in Adana and purchased hundreds acres of land around Taşköprü at Karşıyaka taking place over the intersecting roads. He sold flour, opened bakery (shop) and engaged in transportation business and established a factory, located at the place where HiltonSA was erected.

It is said that he was a man drawing attention with his elegant and spruce way of dressing, principled, generous, authoritarian, tidy and orderly, punctual and faithful. When the Saviour of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and Celal Bayar came in Adana, he used to host them at the flour plant. Years later, when Celal Bayar met the daughter of Seigneur Salih (Effendi), he said: Seigneur Salih (Effendi)was a patriotic man with strong personality. I could not have still forgotten the delicious tea we had it from the silver tea set”.

Seigneur Salih (Effendi) caused a dispensary unit in the district of Abidinpaşa to fight against trachoma and transferred special physicians from Istanbul for this purpose. Subsequently, he caused an eye (ophthalmic) clinic at the public hospital at the Yüreğir district and financed it for years.

The mansion of Bosnian Seigneur Salih (Effendi), however, is located over the Ulus High Street and looks over Taşköprü. While this historical building that was constructed in 1889 was under the risk of demolition, it was purchased by a businessman from Adana and renovated with the opinion of “reservation of the values being the common heritage of Adana”. The mansion that is also known as “Serpentine Mansion” is currently operated as a boutique hotel under the title of “Hotel Bosnian”.

45Stories of the Brand Of Adana


BRIDE STONE LEGEND

Pozantı, Bride Stone Rocks

Sinem ÖZ

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There was a daughter of a young landlord living in a village of the town Pozantı of Adana. Her father was a ruthless and arrogant man. He always sided with the marriage of his daughter with the son of a landlord in and around there and was very determined on that matter. However, young girl was in love with the shepherd of the village, whom she got together with secretly at village fountain heads and dreamed of him all days and nights. She well knew that she would not be able to convince her father to get married to a shepherd however much the shepherd might have good personality and be handsome; despite this, she could never quit him due to the fact that they were madly in love with each other.

“Finally, the preference of the girl’s father was to give his daughter in marriage to the son of another landowner.”

When the wedding day came around at last, the trousseaus were loaded on donkeys. While the people having taken part at the wedding ceremony were dancing and entertaining, the girl could somehow manage to run away and set off the road with the shepherd. Notwithstanding that the broom and bride tried to get away as far as they could, the father of the girl and villagers, who were informed about the run-off of the girl with the shepherd, gave a chase to the lovers and at the end, found them. The girl, who understood that they would be caught when she saw the villagers approaching them, opened his hands towards the sky and pleaded with God by saying: “My Lord! Please don’t separate me from my lover and convert me into a bird and let mo fly away or into a stone so that they could not manage to separate us!”. While the girl was praying to God like that, the girl on the camel with her wedding dress and while shepherd was pulling the bridle of the camel in the front suddenly turned into stone.

According to the hearsay, it is believed that the lovers will turn into their previous form before the Doomsday, and enjoy and go through their love freely. The source of this story is a legend being talked among the people for years in the town Pozantı and the genuineness of which is defended event at current period. The “Rocks of Bride Stone” that is regarded as the place where the legend happened are seen at the slopes on the right hand side a few kilometres after the borough of Çiftehan in the direction of Niğde province.


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PRIMEVAL REMEDY: STORY OF A ÇERÇİ (PEDDLER HERBALIST) YUSUF

Polen ÇERÇİ

Peddler Herbalist, Medicinal Herbs, Peddler Herbalist Yusuf.

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A horse and carriage appeared on the road of previous years as old as one cannot remember. The distance was long and the rear side of the carriage was big and was swaying away in a different manner. A kid and a man with different type of hat on the head sat in front of it. When the carriage approached more, it was understood that the load was not voluminous but smelly (aromatic) because the smoke was billowing. He narrated the secrets to the child along the road and they were the secrets, donated by the nature for years. The child was the son of the nature.

A curious crowded group of people started gathering around them. While the old man was waiting for the big-eyed kid on the one hand, he also kept lining up various herbs, spices, plants, flowers, elixirs and so on, along with the carriage on the other. In the meantime, he noticed again a mother holding the hand of her child whose eyes were misty and covered with wounds and having followed him up since two days.

The kid with big eyes came beside the old man with an herb holding in his hand. Then, he entered in the horse-carriage after the old man look at the kid with misty eyes and gave permission by shaking his head. There was the sound of a continuous work inside. The kid came out towards the evening with a fluid-like mixture in his hand.

The crowd got bigger together with the evening bazaar; however, the mother and kid with misty eye were still there. The woman looked at the box in the hand of the kid. As if she knows what it was.

The woman approached with curiosity; as if she was waiting for that very moment. They looked at the eyes of the kid at close range and the old man and big-eyed kid became sure once again.

He gave full attention while applying the pomade, prepared by


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him, on his eyes. Then, the old man handed the pomade box over the woman.

The mother and her child came back again two days later, and white cataract-like cover had disappeared from the eyes of the kid. They look at the kid thankfully.

The kid told the man, who got old substantially, that he could stay there. The old man said: “Ok son!” “Ok Yusuf, let it be so!” and then added; “Don’t forget, there is everything under the possession of the Peddler for cure-all, apart from death!”.




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STORY OF KURUKÖPRÜ

Kuruköprü (Dry Bridge).

Orhan ÖZONUR

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A bridge used to be constructed at the “Kuruköprü” location where the Çetinkaya Shopping Centre is located currently at the place, on which the Bahripaşa Fountain took place, in order to cross over floods.

This bridge turned out to be a bridge, under which water flew in at flooding time, however, out of flooding time, it became a dry bridge and contained no water underneath. Therefore, this bridge used to be called as the dry-bridge.

With the lapse of time, there occurred no flooding any further when water dams are built in Adana. This bridge was either pulled down or remained under earth-filling during the works enlarging the roads crossing through the current Kuruköprü square.

However, the name of the location where the bridge was located remained as “Kuruköprü”.


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STORY OF LOKMAN HEKIM, KING OF ANATOLIA AND IMMORTALITY ELIXIR

Hacer ARSLAN

Lokman Hekim, King of Anatolia, Immortality Elixir.

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At times immemorial, the King of Anatolia suddenly fell ill. As a consequence of this, the King suffered a lot from a strong pain and his doctors could not find any cure for him.

The doctors were scattered all over Anatolia in order to find cure to that illness. Some look for the cure at the peaks of mountains, and some at the dells of forests and some others, in the freshness of mountain pastures… Lokman Hekim*, however, in Adana…

The lands of Adana are more fertile and more generous than any other lands. The sweetest types of fruits, best fragrance of flowers, the greenest of trees, most varieties of herbs are grown in the lands of Çukurova.

Lokman Hekim looked for the herb for days and nights that would be a cure and one day, he managed to find the eternity that was looked for by humanity by mixing the pollens.

He discovered the immortality elixir. However, Hızır (an immortal person, believed to come in time of need) appeared in front of him and said that the humanity had been ready yet for immortality.

Lokman Hekim cured the King with a medicine he prepared from orange flowers and poured the immortality elixir down into the river from the Bridge Misis.

The immortality elixir, poured down into the waters of the river keeps on giving good health to people in every tree, every flower and every fruit, grown in and around Adana.

Lokman Hekim: a legendary physician, who is believed to have lived in Anatolia.


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LOKMAN HEKIM LEGEND

Lokman Hekim, Misis.

Işık IŞIK

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Lokman Hekim is the master of all physicians. According to the hearsays, Lokman Hekim, who was in well knowledge of all herbs and flowers, used to produce various types of medicines out of these plants. Every flower and every herb began to talk and told Lokman Hekim which illness it would cure.

Lokman Hekim, who travelled to all parts of the world, settled down in the City of Misis when he noticed that everything was grown in the fertile lands of Çukurova and used his immense cure-all knowledge healed all ills around him.

The people, who started to continue their lives without any illness and in a well and sound manner, asked Lokman Hekim to find a remedy for immortality. Following this, Lokman Hekim started to go and see every part of Çukurova in order to find the herb that will be a remedy for immortality.

At a time, he heard a sound while he was sleeping under a plane tree saying: “Hey, Lokman, let your search ongoing all this time come to an end and I am the remedy of immortality. There will be no death both for human beings and animals from now onward.” It was an herb talking to him and he immediately approached to that herb talking to him and learned from it how to prepare that remedy and wrote it down in a book. Then, he picked that herb and set off the road towards Misis…

While he was arriving in Misis, he stopped for a while on the Misis Bridge over the River Ceyhan. He was holding his book in his hand. He started to prepare the remedy by looking at his book. Just at a moment when he was about to prepare and complete it, a wind having blew suddenly let the book and herb in his hand be flew away right into the waters of the river. This is a legend after all; as a consequence of it, Lokman Hekim could not find the medicine any further that will be a remedy for death. The herbs turned away from him after that time and never spoke to him anymore.


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LOKMAN HEKİM LEGEND: BOWL AND SNAKE

Nuriye ARSLANKARADEDE

Lokman Hekim, Snake.

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According to the legends, Lokman Hekim was a physician and chemist. There were lots of all-cure medicines at his shops. When the patients entered in his shop, the bottle of medicine that was expected to be good for the remedy of the related patient used to start to shake up. One day somebody went in but no bottle has shaken up. Following this, Lokman Hekim told that person “There is no remedy for your illness, you will die.”

When the person learned that no way to get away from the death, he was so sad. He sold everything under his possession and then, purchased a horse, rifle and hunting dog and moved to the mountains. He used to maintain his life by eating the animals, haunted by him and purchasing yogurt and milk from the Yuruks (Turkish nomads in Anatolia). Meanwhile, his illness got more serious. He came to the underneath of a tree and then, tethered the horse to the tree and sat down on the ground. During that time, a Yuruk woman came in and put a bowl of milk on the ground. It is a known fact that the snakes are fond of milk. A snake approached the bowl and had the milk and afterwards, threw up its poison into the milk. Then, the bowl turned out to be very green.

The man feeling a stronger pain within said: “I’d better drink this poison and die and this will be the end of my suffering.” Then, he drank the milk and had diarrhea and in the meantime, started to throw up. However, he used to feel relieved considerably and noticed that he felt much better after the poison that he had to die. As the days passed, he recovered more and more and got over his illness completely. Subsequently, he went to Lokman Hekim and said: “Look! You told me that I’d die but as you see I am still living.” Lokman replied him: “Where I could find the genuine cow milk and how I could have this milk be drunk by a snake and make the snake throw it up into the bowl. As a matter of fact, there was the remedy of your illness but I gave that answer to you because it was difficult to procure that medicine.”

From that day to this, it is believed by the people why the bowl and snake have been the symbol of the pharmacology and medical science is based on Lokman Hekim.


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MISIS BY SNAKE, CEYHAN BY WIND, ADANA BY FLOODING...

Nesrin ŞAHİN

Destruction Legends of Adana.

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Varieties of civilizations, reigned over in and around the region of Adana, the fear of “loss” of those having ruled the region as much as the desire of reign at the said area have been the source of inspiration for various legends to be arisen.

There is a kind of word-of-mouth being transmitted from one generation to another in and around the region of Adana together with the effect of the legends, spread over among the people for centuries: “Misis will be destroyed by the snake, Ceyhan by the wind (storm) and Adana, however, by flooding…”

The following belief lies on the basis of this wording:

Adana is located on a plain area, situated right along the River Seyhan. The river used to overflow frequently and destroy houses and villages and put the lands under flooding waters. Since the flooding have occurred frequently in Adana, it is believed by the people that as a result of it, one day, the city would be destroyed totally, namely wiped off the map.

The houses in Ceyhan used to be constructed from soil and cane in ancient time. Since every side of the town was open, lots of houses were destroyed in a strong wind or storm.

As to the destruction of Misis by snake, this story is put into words in and around this region with the well-known mythological “Basilisk” legend.

According to that legend, there was a castle, situated on the peak of a small mountain near Misis and called as Serpentine Castle. There were lots of snakes, fed by milk, at this castle. It was believed that one day, these snakes would lack of milk and get out of the castle and come down to Misis and bite the people living in that city.


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YOU ARE MY ADANA: STORY OF AN ADANA’S RESIDENT FOR THE DECLARATION OF LOVE

Yasin SEMİZ

Colours and Attractions of Adana.

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63

…. A slight smile appeared on the edge of the lip of his grandfather. He said, it is just an “ inspiration” as if he wanted to settle it quickly and finally. Inspiration…

The young grandson would not satisfy with that answer of his grandfather.

He asked: “Ok then, the Inspiration? Where did you get this much Inspiration?”

When the grandfather noticed that the gleam in the eyes of his grandson will not extinct easily, he replied:

“From Adana, my son”

This was a short answer as well like the other.

However, this time he did not give a quick and final answer.

He kept on further:

“My son, the final part of the word “Adana” ends with a wording of “ana” (refers to the meaning of mother in Turkish). The warmth of this city is like a mother-bosom for me.

The glances of the young boy focused on the eyes of his grandfather and he was looking at him as if saying “Please go on”. Then, he continued.

“My son, there is a rainbow within every person and my rainbow got its colours from this city.”

The young grandson wanted his grandfather to clarify his puzzle-like answer more.

“Ok, which aspect of Adana you like most and which colour of it?”

“The colour I liked the most of Adana was the colour of the eyes of your grandmother.”


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The young grandson was impressed very much by this answer. He walked away and there was a strange feeling within him. At night, he thought deeply at his bed in a way having stared at the ceiling. He remembered the eyes of the girl that he could not revealed his interest in her for a long period of time. He thought of her eyes.. and her way of smiling and laughing came to his mind. Then, he thought of her way of laughing and words of his grandfather. Then, he tightened his fist in determined way, and had a deep breath and murmured: “I will tell her!”

He got up early and had his breakfast in a hurry and went out. Afterwards, he started to wait for the girl at the street that the girl passed by every day. When the girl she loved appeared at the corner, he took the letter, written by him at night, out of his pocket with dithered hands, and stood in front of the girl and they caught each other's eyes.

“This is for you” he said and gave the letter to her and walked away rapidly.

The girl confusingly put the letter in her bag and her heart was beating up timorously. When she found a convenient place, she took the letter out of her bag and started to read.

There were only a few words in the letter.

“You are my Adana.”




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STORY OF SULAR DISTRICT

Sular District

Erşan AKÇINAR

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When the River Seyhan flooded, the flooding waters used to overflow the road, currently named as “Sular” and also close proximity of the road.

When the flooding waters died down, these fertile and well-watered lands were planted barley.

Since these places were flooded every year, this district has been called as Sular (Waters).


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TAŞKÖPRÜ: STORY OF A BRIDGE BRINGING THE LOVERS TOGETHER

A bridge uniting the lovers.

Ümit ÇALIŞICI

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I had selected the place where I saw her first, in order to make this proposal. To tell it the truth, no better place came in my mind either to suggest my proposal. The longest and oldest structure of Adana had to be a witness to our meeting. It was Taşköprü...

Suddenly my love as attractive as Adana appeared on the other side of the river. While the girl approached me closely and tried to make a sense out of the bewilderment in my eyes and peculiar smile on my face, I kneeled down in front of her. Then, I handed over a bunch of flowers that I have been hiding at my back and stared at his eyes, in the endless depth of which one may get lost.

I could not even tell anything and even a single word during a few long seconds when I felt that my lips were sealed off and my tongue was motionless, but at the end, a few timid and trilling words out of my mouth: “I love you!.....”

My poor love... She could not have even understood what was going on. The bewilderment, concentrated on her gorgeous eyes, had caused her elegant eyeball to be grown, and her mouth was in position, remained between smile and anger, as if paralyzed. At the end, she said: “But.. but I don’t know you!”

This reaction was much more positive that I have been expecting. I stood up with smiling. I was just about to introduce myself to her and since when I fancied her very much, suddenly an old man came towards us and whispered: “Love and Taşköprü”. He turned to the girl and said: “My daughter, give a chance to this man! There is something good in this affair now that he declared his love for you at a place like this.”


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She replied: “But I don’t know him...”

“Yes, you are right” the old man cut the answer of the girl I love short.

“But there is an unknown story of this bridge. If you listen to it, then, I am sure you’ll justify me.”

The old man leaned against the wide walls of Taşköprü and started to narrate: “The unfortunate princess causes the death of a male snake although it was unintentionally. The love is not only for human beings. There is a female that loved the dead snake a lot. It bit the princess just for revenge. The unknown part of the story starts just at this point. When the princess dies, a young man come to the scene on the banks of the River Seyhan. He sheds his tears so abundantly, so the female snake feels so sorry what it has done. Not long after, the young man, who was in love with the Princess and female snake that lost its love disappear suddenly. Afterwards, the father of the Princess has this nice bridge to be constructed in the memory of his daughter. According to the hearsays, from that day onward, it is believed that the Princess and young man as well as the snakes that love each other come together on this bridge.”

My eyes suddenly turned to my love listening to the old man in a fascinated way. When the man stopped talking, she stood for a while motionlessly. My eyes scanning every square millimetre with the hope of finding a good impression on his nice face focused on her eyes. The girl finally raised her head and smiled at me, and then, took a card visit from her bag and handed it over me and with a smile at the face, said to me:

“Every time there is a valid reason to give an opportunity to the love.”




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ARCHES OF TAŞKÖPRÜ (Stone Bridge)

Taşköprü (Stone Bridge) and Golds Underneath.

Emel ARSLAN BÜYÜKMERTOĞLU

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The Taşköprü (Stone Bridge) that connects both parts of Adana and has been the oldest bridge in use at the current period still stands there with all its nobility. It is said that Taşköprü was constructed about 2000 years ago.

The emperor of the period when the bridge was constructed ordered its architect:

“Construct such a strong and sound bridge that would never be destroyed and stand still as long as the world exists.”

Then, the architect constructed Taşköprü and told the emperor that he constructed a bridge that would exist all the time. Notwithstanding that the emperor understood that the bridge became so strong and sound, he still could not help asking the architect:

“How do you know that it will continue to exist all the time?”

The architect replied him:

“I placed sufficient amount of gold under the bridge piers to cover the expenses to rebuild it in case of the destruction of the bridge. Taşköprü will exist as long as the world may exist.”


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STORY OF TAŞKÖPRÜ (Stone Bridge)

Taşköprü (Stone Bridge).

Şenel DEMİREL

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Taşköprü is the heart of Adana. Whenever I cross over it I feel that its heart beats. Taşköprü has seen various numbers of civilizations and every civilization has left a trace within it.

“The Romans came in within the 12th century to conquer Çukurova and made a war for it and finally, managed to occupy Adana.

At that age, the commerce was in the hands or namely, under the dominance of the Romans. An international market used to be set up at the bridgehead of Taşköprü. The merchants of the East and West came in and carried their commercial goods by means of ships with small tonnage through the mouth of the River Seyhan and of (camel) caravans through the land routes, to the market, set up at the bridge head of Taşköprü.

Marco Polo also came in Adana with his father and wrote at his books what he has seen in Adana. Silk shawl fabrics, carpets and so on, were sold like hot cakes. The poets read their poems in the middle.

It used to be difficult to cross the river from one side to the other. Therefore, Pompeis initiated the construction of Taşköprü. The project was drawn by the Architect Oksenteus. The labour was provided by the pirates of Adana. They started the work by changing the river bed. They made the river to flow through Dry Bridge (Kuru Köprü). Taşköprü was constructed over 21 piers. Tax used to be collected at the entry and exit doors of it.”

The governor Osman Pasha, Governor Kel Hasan Pashe, Poet-Author Governor Ziya Pasha, Governor Bahri Pasha and Governor Zühtü Durukan had the bridge be repaired. It was renovated in recent periods and closed to the vehicle traffic; Taşköprü has been a location where the theatre festivals were organized or held...


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STORY OF A LOVE PRAYER, EFFECTUATED: SEEDS OF WISHES

Love Prayer, Fortune, Magic.

Dursaliye ŞAHAN

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Oh! Mehmet Ali, look we are both in the city again where we were born. Remember what you said when you took to your bed “Safiye, I long for the highland.” I felt the pains of these words and regarded them as a last request.

You said while you underwent the operation “My nose feels the smells of the bitter orange”. I made a personal commitment “I will sell whatever I have and never leave my husband in foreign places.” Oh! Mehmet Ali, how the kids might have known? Do you know that, you passed away. You just used to say “Oh, it is a destiny.”, it was an underestimation.

Our fathers have not regretted little by saying “Is it possible for the children of kirve (a man who acts as a sort of god father to a boy at his circumcision) to get married to each other?”

Who might think that I shut their mouth up with my prayers? How on earth can a small girl be engaged in love? But it happened to me. Good Lord knows it!

It was said that a girl was asked by the relatives of Mehmet Ali to get married to him. As if a knife was stuck in my chest. I used to hide in out-of-the way places frequently and cried for it. The wife of the thinner in the district saw it and spoke to me: “Hey girl! What is the matter with you?” I could no longer control myself and started to cry sobbingly. I have stopped with my both hands on the cotton bag in a manner as if petrified. I was crying more and more when the woman said to me: “Thrust out your hand!”. She looked at my face reproachfully “Oh come on! Shut up! Don’t be disgraced! Everything is within the disposal of God”. But there was an overwhelming feeling and sentiment within me and I shouted out at an instant: As if God does not know what I want, he will get married to another girl!”.

She held my hand forcefully and started to drug me towards her and I was resisting. Then, she took a piece of coal out of the pieces of


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stones, with which she told the fortunes, and wrote the figure of “999” at my palm. Then whispered into my ear: “The prayer of the wish that you cannot keep quiet for and curse of the pain that you don’t suffer from will not come true!.”

I exactly collected 999 seeds. I counted them every night with tears. I left no place, unvisited by me; I have been striding through every corner of the city of Adana.

I have been moving a handful soil at the courtyard of Mosque, backyard of Monastery, in the park, cotton fields, slopes, vegetable gardens, in brief, almost everywhere and left there a wish seed for the sake of our love.. almost up to the Kazancılar Bazaar.

Just an ignorance... that’s it.. There was a flood of tears behind every seed as if they were a kind of sap (life line) for those seeds. Only God knows, which of the seeds managed to grow up.

When your mother sent a message two weeks later, I was in great joy and as if walked in the air. I know you did not like the fortune tellers and get nervous about magicians; for this reason, I was scared and could not tell you all about. Additionally, I was ashamed of your possible words: “Oh, du you mean that you wanted me this much?”

You always kept a bunch of row cotton available in your inner pocket. You used to say: “Let Germany aside, even if I can go to the moon, Çukurova will always remain in the very dept of my heart.”

Now, I am looking down on you. You sleep and rest in peace in the middle of that city in your heart. Crocuses that you liked a lot have grown on your grave.

I know the place next to you is waiting for me. I don’t have any fear of death even in the slightest degree. I will come and lie next to you.

Look! Birds are flying over you. One never knows; maybe they perch upon a tree, grown from the wish seeds, those branches must be telling them how madly I have been in love with you...”




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STORY OF GOVERNOR ZİYA PASHA

Ziya Pasha, The Ziya Pasha Park.

M. Demirel BABACANOĞLU

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The Governor Ziya Pasha having an original name of Abdülhamit Ziyaettin, who was the leading benevolent, poet, diplomat, statesman of the Tanzimat (administrative reform) era, was born in 1829 at the Kandilli District of Istanbul. Ziya Pasha had studied at the district school, School of Edebiye.

He learned Persian, Arabic and French languages and was recruited by the Interspace Clerkship (Mabeyn Katipliği). Afterwards, he was appointed to the Ministry of Security, Embassy in Athens, Lieutenant Governor Office of Cyprus, Bosnia-Herzegovina Inspectorate, Vala Assembly and Lieutenant Governorship of Amasya and achieved very important works.

Following the ascendance of the Ottoman King, Abdulhamit to the throne, he was assigned duty to prepare the Constitution. Mithat Pasha together with Namık Kemal made the Basic Law of the Ottoman Empire. The king, Abdulhamit, closed the assembly down pursuant to Article 113 of the foregoing. He sent the persons, who prepared the Constitutions, as desired. Ziya Pasha was appointed as the governor of Syria, Konya and Adana.

Ziya Pasha firstly released the criminals of thought from jails as soon as he arrived in Adana (1878). He had a theatre building be constructed near the Ulus Park and brought a theatre company from Istanbul, and ensured the performance of the plays that he translated from French. He published a circular for his officers to go and watch theatre performances and set up a printing house of the governor office. Then, he published the semi-official Seyhan newspaper.

He caused huge water wheels to be installed over the River Seyhan and provided opportunity for the irrigation of the lands of Adana and had the bridges, Misis and Taşköprü, be repaired, and attached considerable importance to education and had various schools be opened.

He passed away on the 17th Day of May, 1880. His grave is at the Ziya Pasha Park.

STORY OF VARDA BRIDGE

Varda Bridge, Germans.

Ferhat KARA

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We were gradually coming to the end of our journey that we had initiated towards Adana. I was sure that my German friend beside me would be bewildered by the scene that he would see after a while although he was semi-sleepy.

“Two points of the railway project stretching from Istanbul to Hedzaj (currently Saudi Arabian Region) that they presented to the king Abdulhamit II in 1888 and forced the labour force at most have been “Taurus Tunnels” and “Varda Bridge”. According to hearsays, the name of bridge was originated by the answer of the masters of the bridge to the question of the workers, who procured stones during the construction of the bridge, asking the question of “Is there any more?” (in Turkish: Daha var mı?) and the answer of the said question by the masters saying “Yes, there is more, there is more” (in Turkish: Var daha) referring to the unification of syllables “Var-Da” and then, turned out to be Varda.. The construction of the bridge started in 1907 and completed in 1912. The construction of the bridge that had a length of 172 meters and completed in five-year time by the use of steel truss stone masonry technique left behind twenty-two dead people having worked at the construction (one of them was e German engineer) and numerous numbers of interesting stories.”

My friend, whose eyes had already been opened wide, could not keep his eyes off the bridge while I was telling him about the story of it. We started to climb to the place between the rocks and covered by the grass (lawns) and wild flowers. This point was the most precious jewel stone of the railway embracing this natural wonder place like a bracelet “Varda Bridge”. He murmured: “Magnificent! That is what I can say with a single word.” He had gone into a deep thought at the place where we were sitting side by side. I told him: “Your citizens stayed around for an approximate period of twenty years at this location. Within this period, they erected lots of buildings here such as residential units, church, school and so on.” As if he was experiencing in an imaginary manner the construction of this magnificent construction that was created by the labour of his own people away from their homeland....


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REFUSE IS REFUSE: STORY OF A WORDING SPECIFIC TO ADANA

Wordings in the dialect of Adana, Zibil (Refuse).

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Selçuk ONUR



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It was the years of 60s.... Five friends (Magnificent Cinque) of us rented a flat in Istanbul for university and used to attend in school. It was a cold and rainy winter evening, Our friend Ahmet Özuzun, called as chief among us (from the Unbeatable Water Polo Team of Demir Spor) had been transferred to a swimming team in Istanbul, titled as Istanbul Yüzme İhtisas Kulübü, and he went out in order to attend in the meeting of the club to be held in that evening and arrived in the bus stop. He was waiting for a bus there (Barbaros Boulevard), worn the hood on his head due to the rainy weather, a vehicle/truck, who lost the control of the steering wheel on the slippery road, came and hit our chief. He was immediately taken to the Şişli Etfal Hospital and Alican Demirdöven from the Magnificent Cinque was contacted with through a telephone number, found in the pocket of Ahmet and upon this, Alican immediately went to the hospital. Luckily, there was not much injury in Ahmet apart from a few fractures.

Alican came home at late night and informed us about the accident; of course, we knew nothing about what has happened. We were shocked when he threw the bloody clothes of Ahmet in front us and told all about the accident. We immediately rushed to the hospital, however, were not allowed to enter in. We returned home again and took our white coats, which we used to wear at our laboratory courses, and managed to infiltrate in through the back door of the hospital. When we found the hospital room, he was good but there was a traffic police standing beside him as it was a traffic accident and trying to get his testimony about the accident. When we told the policeman that we were his friends, he was very pleased and said: “Oh really! Luckily you came in because I tried to get his statement about the accident but understood nothing about what he was saying, I’ll be glad if you help me.” The policeman asked Ahmet:

- You know what you were hit by?

- ZİBİL* collection vehicle

- Ok then, what does this vehicle carry?


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- It carries ZİBİL.

The policeman just does not understand it.

- Where do these zibils go?

- To the ZİBİL COLLECTION DUMP

- Where is this matter, which you call as zibil, collected from?

- It is collected by ZİBİL men.

- Where do they collect from?

- From ZİBİL containers.

The policemen was about to go to mad. He could not issue his accident report apparently since he could not understand what zibil meant. He turned us and asked: For God sake, what does this zibil mean?

* Refuse is called as “zibil” by the local people of Adana, not generally used in Turkish language.

We could not keep quiet any longer and burst into laughter and while we were explaining to the policeman that zibil in Adana’s dialect meant “zibil”, the on-call doctor came in, and started to reprimand us: “What’s going on here? Who are you? How could you enter in?” and so on.

When we said “We are his friends and were not allowed to enter in through the front door and tried the rear entrance through the Zibil containers”, this time the policeman could not help laughing.

Then, we learned that it was the servant of the hospital, who denounced us. When he noticed that a vehicle plate number: 01 SO 2167* was written on the back of my white coat, written by a ball-point pen, as was something usual clothing of me at our laboratory courses, he apparently informed the physician...* (01 is plate number of Adana in Turkey, SO are the capital letters of the name and surname of the author, Selçuk ONUR, 2167, however, probably the student number of him at the university )




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