Adana has been continuously inhabited for at least 7,000 years, and its strategic position at the gateway to Cilicia made it significant to every empire from the Hittites through to the Ottomans. The Romans built a bridge across the Seyhan here in the 2nd century CE that is still in use today.
Modern Adana is a sprawling, hot, intensely commercial city that surprises visitors with its excellent food scene (the Adana kebab has protected geographical status), a good archaeological museum and easy access to the extraordinary Roman sites of Tarsus and the Çukurova coast.
- Region
- Mediterranean / Çukurova
- Population
- Turkey's 4th largest city
- Known for
- Adana kebab, Taş Köprü, cotton
- Nearby
- Tarsus (St Paul's birthplace), Mersin
Taş Köprü (Stone Bridge)
The Taş Köprü (Stone Bridge) across the Seyhan River was built by the Roman emperor Hadrian in 125 CE and is one of the oldest bridges still in use in the world. Originally 310 m long with 21 arches, the surviving 14 arches remain intact. The bridge at night, illuminated against the river, is the iconic image of Adana.
Sabancı Central Mosque
The Sabancı Merkez Camii, built in 1998 on a prominent riverside position, is one of the largest mosques in Turkey — six minarets (the same as the Blue Mosque) and a dome visible across the city. The Sabancı family (Turkey’s wealthiest industrial dynasty, headquartered in Adana) funded it. Whatever your views on its relatively recent construction, it is architecturally impressive and a major landmark.
Adana Archaeological Museum
The Adana Arkeoloji Müzesiholds important finds from excavations across Cilicia: Hittite and Assyrian artefacts from nearby Karatepe and Domuztepe, Roman sculpture and mosaics from across the Çukurova region, and Byzantine objects. The museum gives essential context for exploring the region’s extraordinary ancient heritage.
Adana kebab — the real thing
The Adana kebabı is to this city what pizza is to Naples — a food with protected geographical status (PGI) that Adana residents take extremely seriously. The authentic version: spiced ground lamb mixed with tail fat, hand-kneaded, moulded onto flat skewers, cooked on hardwood charcoal, served with bulgur pilav, tomato and rocket. The best restaurants line the Seyhan riverside near the Stone Bridge.
Day trip: Tarsus
Tarsus, 30 km west of Adana, was the birthplace of St Paul (c. 5 CE) and one of the most important cities of the ancient world — it was here that Cleopatra sailed up the Cydnus River to meet Mark Antony in 41 BCE. Key sights: the St Paul’s Church (on the alleged site of his family home), the Kırkkaşık Bedesteni (15th-century covered market), and the Roman road.
Adana in pictures
Frequently asked questions
Adana
3Fly from Istanbul (IST or SAW) to Adana Şakirpaşa Airport — 1.5 hour flight. Overnight buses also run (12–14 hrs). High-speed rail does not yet reach Adana.
Yes, especially for food tourism — the Adana kebab culture alone justifies a visit. The Roman stone bridge, the museum and day trips to Tarsus and Mersin make a 1–2 night stay rewarding. Adana is very hot in summer (40°C+); spring and autumn are better.
Tarsus (30 km, birthplace of St Paul), Mersin (65 km), Kızkalesi Castle (90 km, Byzantine sea castle) and Karatepe-Aslantaş National Park (130 km, Hittite open-air museum) are all excellent day trips.