Mezitli

Mezitli is a municipality and district in Mersin Province, southern Turkey, forming the westernmost part of the urban area of Mersin. The district extends from the Mediterranean coast northward toward the Toros Mountains and covers approximately 371 square kilometres. Its 2024 population was reported as 225,824. The district includes established residential quarters, coastal settlements, agricultural areas and rural neighbourhoods that were incorporated into the municipal structure during Turkey’s local-government reforms. The modern settlement takes its name from the Mezitoglu Oghuz tribal group associated with the small village that existed north of the ancient coastal site of Soli. Mezitli’s territory also contains the archaeological remains of Soli, later renamed Pompeipolis after the Roman general Pompey. The ancient city passed through a succession of political spheres, including Rhodes, the Persian and Macedonian empires, the Seleucid and Roman empires, Byzantium, the Umayyad Caliphate, the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum, the Crusader states, the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, the Ramadanids, the Mamluk Sultanate and the Ottoman Empire. A major earthquake in 528 weakened Soli’s importance, although its ruins remain a defining cultural feature of the district. The southern area around the ruins is commonly known as Viranşehir, meaning “ruined city.” Mezitli’s municipal institution was established in 1968. In 2008, a formal district was created from part of the former central district of Mersin. The same reorganisation established the neighbouring districts of Akdeniz, Toroslar and Yenişehir. Davultepe, Tece and Kuyuluk were subsequently incorporated into Mezitli’s municipality. The 2013 metropolitan-governance reform brought the rural portion of the district into the municipal framework and converted villages into neighbourhoods. Today, Mezitli is primarily a residential and local-government district rather than a commercial brand. It is known for middle-class housing and for a population that includes retirees and people who work in other parts of Mersin. Coastal villages and summer-home areas lie to the west, while citrus cultivation is an important activity in the surrounding countryside. The Mezitli River, identified with the ancient Liparis, flows through the district. The municipality is bordered by Yenişehir to the east, the Mediterranean Sea to the south and the Toros Mountains to the north. Mezitli maintains town-twinning relationships with Berlin’s Tempelhof-Schöneberg borough and Çatalköy in Northern Cyprus. The mayor identified in the supplied reference material is Ahmet Serkan Tuncer.

Mezitli’s historical identity is closely connected with the ancient settlement of Soli, located in the southern part of the present district. Soli was associated with Rhodes before coming under the control of the Persian, Macedonian and Seleucid empires. During the Roman period, the city was renamed Pompeipolis in honour of the Roman general Pompey. It later belonged to the Byzantine sphere. A major earthquake in 528 damaged the city and contributed to its decline. In subsequent centuries, the wider area was governed or influenced by the Umayyad Caliphate, the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum, Crusader powers, the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, the Ramadanids, the Mamluk Sultanate and the Ottoman Empire. By the beginning of the twentieth century, the ancient city had become a ruin, and the local settlement was a small village north of Soli. That village was associated with the Mezitoğlu Oghuz tribe, from which the modern name Mezitli derives. The southern ruins are now popularly linked with the name Viranşehir, or “ruined city.” This archaeological landscape remains one of the principal historical reference points for the district. The modern municipality was established in 1968. A major administrative change followed in 2008, when Mezitli became a district formed from territory that had previously belonged to the central district of Mersin. The same reform created the neighbouring districts of Akdeniz, Toroslar and Yenişehir. Former municipalities including Davultepe, Tece and Kuyuluk were absorbed into Mezitli’s municipal structure. Turkey’s 2013 metropolitan local-government reorganisation further altered the district’s administration. Rural areas were incorporated into the municipality, and villages were reclassified as neighbourhoods. As a result, Mezitli developed as an integrated district containing dense urban quarters, coastal settlements, agricultural land and mountain-facing rural areas. Geographically, the district occupies western Mersin. Yenişehir lies to the east, the Mediterranean Sea forms its southern boundary and the Toros Mountains rise to the north. The Mezitli River, identified with the ancient Liparis, crosses the district. Western coastal villages and summer-home areas have links to citrus production, while the built-up area is characterised largely by middle-class housing. Many residents are retirees or people whose employment is based elsewhere in the wider Mersin metropolitan area. Mezitli’s contemporary role is therefore that of a residential and administrative district with agricultural, coastal and archaeological dimensions rather than an independent industrial centre.

• 2024

  Population reported at 225,824

  [1]Mezitlien.wikipedia.org

  The district population was reported as 225,824, with an area of approximately 371 square kilometres.

• 2013

  Rural areas integrated into the municipality

  [1]Mezitlien.wikipedia.org

  A nationwide local-government reorganisation integrated the district’s rural areas into the municipality and converted villages into neighbourhoods.

• 2008

  Mezitli district created

  [1]Mezitlien.wikipedia.org

  Mezitli became a district after territory was separated from the former central district of Mersin; Davultepe, Tece and Kuyuluk were incorporated into the municipality.

• 1968

  Town municipality established

  [1]Mezitlien.wikipedia.org

  The modern town municipality of Mezitli was established.

• Earthquake damages Soli

  [1]Mezitlien.wikipedia.org

  A major earthquake damaged the ancient city of Soli, contributing to the loss of its earlier prominence.

A western Mersin coastal district combining urban residential neighbourhoods, Mediterranean agriculture, rural settlements and archaeological heritage.

Product categories. Citrus agriculture · Residential and coastal services · Municipal public services

1. 1Mezitlien.wikipedia.org
2. 2Mezitli District Governoratemezitli.gov.tr