Fish Pleasure in Karataş
The Mediterranean has its own unique fish. Although this menu
includes a wide range, Karataş, one of the cutest fishing towns in the Eastern
Mediterranean, has a unique fish option. Lagos comes first in this option… Of
course, sea bream, which we refer to as Sea bream, is also among the options…
And Sea Bass… There is also Mullet… While the Mediterranean has a wide
selection of fish and Karataş has trained the most skilled fishermen of the
Eastern Mediterranean, why is Karataş's fish menu not composed of these four
fish? You may wonder what happens. The answer to your curiosity is only quality.
We want you to know that even if you live by the sea, most of the fish you eat
in fish restaurants are fish grown in fish farms. However, if you have been to
fish in Karataş, you should know that you will only be offered fresh fish
caught from the sea or from the open sea.
Karatas Lagoons
There are 3 lagoons in and around Karataş. lagoon; means a
shallow lake connected to the sea. Sea bream, sea bass and mullet are usually
attached to the fishes set up here. That's why the fish restaurants in Karataş
have mastered the cooking of these fish. Eating fish in Karataş is a pleasure
because they have mastered the cooking of these 4 types of fish, as well as the
fact that the greens and appetizers served with the fish are very special.
Mashed tomato salad and arugula… Appetizers made with radishes and onions…
Hummus… Muhammara… Tarator… All kinds of pickles… Fried shrimp and calamari…
After the fish, Damascus Dessert. Of course, if there is no raki, the fish will
be offended. In addition, all fish restaurants in Karataş are located in such a
way that they can see the sea from above, and they are places with open spaces.
If you think that even the coldest winter days in Adana are mild, you can taste
the pleasure of eating fish in the country food weather here.
Without Fork and Knife
Another feature of eating fish in Karataş is the friendly
atmosphere that eliminates some of the difficulties that may prevent you from
feeling the taste of the fish. It is not strange to eat the fish there by using
your hand. And we want you to know that when the cutlery goes out, the taste
can increase a little more… We don't want to say that the fishermen of Karataş
are rude, because the sloppiness there is a result of the sincerity of everyone
who comes, especially the operators, and this situation increases the pleasure
of eating fish by providing comfort to everyone.
2500 Years of City
After describing the restaurants, let's talk a little bit
about Karataş itself. Adana is the closest place to the sea. It is a small town
only 40 kilometers from the city. The history of the county, where the majority
of its people are engaged in fishing, goes back to 3000 years ago. It was
founded under the name Magarsos in those years, by Mapsos and Anflakos, who
also founded Misis. Magarsos, which is only 5 kilometers west of current
Karataş, also has a magnificent ancient theater overlooking the sea. The story
of this theater, which is covered with earth today, is very interesting; The
Cilician Mallos and the Greek Anflakos, who founded the city of Magarsos
together, are two warriors who fought in Troy. They return to Adana together
from Troy and establish the cities of Misis (Mapsoshestia) and Karataş
(Magarsos) (and the Lost City of Mallos). But after a while, Anflakos opposes
Mallos and they fight to the death in the Magarsos Amphitheater. At the end of
this fight, Anflakos dies and Mapsos is mortally wounded. He died 3 months
later while resting in Mallos due to these wounds. In addition, there are two
lagoons named Akyatan and Ağyatan on both sides of the town. These lagoons have
been declared a bird sanctuary with the Ramsar Bird Protection Convention and
contain Turkey's richest varieties. Birds' selection of these lagoons; It's not
a coincidence that the fish population is rich. And your fish come from the
fish in these lakes. It must be a bit difficult to find a fish dish with such a
specialty in other places nowadays.
Where to Eat Fish?
We recommend Fevzi'nin Yeri to you. However, there are many
places where you can eat delicious fish in Karataş. Fevzi's Place; Before
entering Karataş, it is on the road when you turn towards the forest camp...
Akdeğirmen Bridge
We recommend you to stop by Akdeğirmen Bridge while you are
in Karataş. To go to Akdeğirmen, you need to turn east, that is, to Kızıltahta
Village, before coming to Yüzbaşı Village, which is on your way. You can find
it by asking the location of the bridge in the village where you will arrive
after a journey of about 10 kilometers. This bridge, built on the Ceyhan River,
must have been built at the same time as the Adana Taşköprü and Misis Bridges.
Today, half of the bridge is called Akdeğirmen because it was used as a mill
300 years ago.
*Destination Program and Photos are taken from S. Haluk
Uygur's book "52 Week Adana and Its Surroundings".
