ASIANOVERLAND.NET LONDON TO SYDNEY  DAY 282: PAMMUKALE TO MANAVGAT,  TURKIYE

The Taurus Mountains are a massive mountain range  in southern Turkey, separating the Mediterranean coastal region from the central Anatolian Plateau. Between the Taurus Mountains to the north, and the sandy beaches of the Mediterranean coast, much of Manavgat is surrounded by a flat plain. Manavgat is best known among Top Deckers as an oasis at the end of a tough mountain drive, for its campsite, hospitality and fire pit dinners.

The bull was commonly the symbol and depiction of ancient Near Eastern storm gods, hence Taurus the bull and the name of the Taurus mountains. The Taurus mountains are the home of many ancient storm-god temples. Torrential thunderstorms in these mountains were regarded by the ancient Syrians to be the work of the storm-god Adad to make the Tigris and Euphrates rivers rise and flood, and fertilise their land.

The nearby ancient cities of Side and Selge date back to the 6th century BC.

Selge was an important city in ancient Pisidia, on the southern slope of Mount Taurus, modern Antalya Province, Turkey, where the river Eurymedon River (Turkish: Köprüçay) forces its way through the mountains towards the south.

The acropolis of Selge bore the name of Kesbedion. The district was extremely fertile, producing olive oil and wine, but Selge was difficult of access, surrounded by precipices and beds of torrents flowing towards the Eurymedon and Cestrus (today Aksu), and requiring bridges to make them passable.

 When Alexander the Great passed through Pisidia (333 BC), Selge sent an embassy to him and gained his favour and friendship.

Manavgat was taken over by the Seljuk Turks in 1220 and the Ottoman Empire in 1472.The town also has a castle named "Zindan Kalesi" (Dungeon Castle in English).

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