Adana

Adana is an industrial city on the Cilician Plains with over 8000 years of history. Its historic centre features Roman and Ottoman architecture, including the Taşköprü bridge and several mosques. It's famous for its eponymous kebab and offers a lively nightlife scene unusual for Turkish towns.

Adana's main bus station (Otogar) serves intercity routes. The railway station, built in 1912 as part of the Berlin-Baghdad railway, now has limited services but is architecturally interesting.

The old town is compact and walkable. An extensive bus network including dolmuş covers the city. The Adana Metro is a single line running 14 km but most visitors won't need it. Taxi prices are comparable to the rest of Turkey.

Adana has a Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters. The climate chart shows heaviest rainfall in winter (December 143 mm) and driest in summer (July 12.3 mm). Spring and autumn are comfortable for sightseeing.

Accommodation clusters near the railway station and city centre. Budget options include ibis (B&B double 1000 TL) and Çukurova Park Otel (1000 TL). Mid-range hotels like Ramada (2000 TL) and business hotels like DoubleTree by Hilton (2800 TL) are also available.

Adana is famous for Adana kebab, a skewer of minced lamb. Old town has many kebab shops such as Kazancilar (with vegetarian options). Near the station, there are numerous pubs like Newport Irish Bar and Tiyatro Cafe, unusual for Turkey. Mado's is a chain for desserts.

Main attractions include Taşköprü (Roman stone bridge), Sabancı Central Mosque (huge with six minarets), Grand Mosque (1525-1541), and the Archaeology Museum (free, extensive collection). Also visit Atatürk Museum and Cinema Museum. For relaxation, hamams are available and a funfair by the lake.

Adana experienced powerful earthquakes in early 2023, with about 450 lives lost in collapsed buildings, though damage was lighter than areas closer to the epicentre. The city is generally safe for tourists, but be aware of earthquake risks.

Adana and its approach roads have 4G from all Turkish carriers. As of April 2025, 5G has not rolled out in Turkey.

Day trips from Adana include: Karataş (55 km south, beach and ruins of Magaros with Roman amphitheatre), Yumurtalık (east, castle), Tarsus (west, St Paul sites), Mersin (65 km west, large port with ferries to Cyprus), and the Taurus mountain passes via Karaisalı and Pozantı.

Onward destinations include Mersin (west), Gaziantep (east via Osmaniye), and Ankara (north via Pozantı). The D400 highway connects to the Mediterranean coast.