İçel

Makam-ı Şerif Mosque and Danyal Prophet Mausoleum (Center): Makamı Şerif Mosque is constructed in 1857. At east of the mosque, there is the mausoleum of Danyal Prophet. For this reason, “Makam mosque” name is given to the mosque.

Hz. Danyal, had lived during II. Babil King Nebukadnesar (605 - 562 B. C.) period, and saved the Jewish people from Babil slavery via his sciences and predictions. According to the rumor; Nebukadnesar had learned from his dreams that a boy from İsmailoğulları will shake his throne. Thereupon, he ordered his subjects to kill all boys born from İsmailoğulları. When Hz. Danyal born, his family left him to a cavern on a mountain. In the cavern, under the guardianship of a male and female lion, Danyal had grown, and after his childhood Danyal had joined to its tribe. During a famine year, with the coming of Tarsus invited prophet Danyal to Tarsus, a plenty year is occurred, and for this reason Prophet Danyal did not let to return to Babil, and buried to the place where Makam Mosque is present now after his death.

In A. H. 17, when Tarsus is conquered during Hz. Ömer period, mausoleum of Prophet Danyal is opened, and a very long corpse bandaged with a canvas, woven with golden thread, is found here within a huge tomb. As a symbol of his adventures, a ring is found, on which two lions, from one is male, and a boy licked by a female lion figures are carved. Thus, Hz. Ömer, to protect the body of Prophet Danyal from robbery of Jewish people, had buried him to a more deep cemetery and waters of a small stream, coming from Berdan River, is passed over it. Consequently, during the final repair of the mosque, thick and smooth crenel bars are found at the entrance point at below and behind part of the mosque at very deep. Corpse of the Prophet Danyal is much more deeper than these waters, passing from these crenels.

Ashabı Kehf Cavern (Tarsus): It is 14 kilometers away from Tarsus, and near to Ulaş Village. This cavern, which is mentioned in Holy Quran, Kehf section, is deemed as holy by Moslems and Christians. You can climb down to the cavern via 15 - 20 stages.

A legend of Eshab-ı Kehf Cavern is mentioned among natives. During the periods, when belief to mythological gods is loosing power gradually, seven Christian boys (Seliha, Mekseline, Meslina, Mernuş, Sazernuş, Debernuş and Kafetatyuş), who are escaping from torture as they believe in monotheism, had taken to the attendance of the king as they are not accepting to turn back to idolatry. King gave them a few days period with saying that they should believe in idolatry otherwise they will be killed. Seven boys, with benefiting from the period, had escaped to a cavern with taking the dog named Kıtmir with them for escaping from death. They are granted with a sleep of 300 years by God. And first awakened one among them, had gone to the city for buying food, but arrested due to the old coins of him. When arresting person had come to the cavern with him, he had seen nothing other than a nest, where seven chick birds were perching. For this reason here is named as Seven Sleepers Cavern.

Ulu Mosque (Tarsus): The Mosque in Tarsus, is constructed in 1579 by İbrahim Bey, son of Piri Pasha from Ramazanoğluları on St. Pierre Church ruins. On the minaret with single balcony aside of mosque, Ottoman and Seljukian methods are reigning.