Published under the aegis of the Mersin Maritime Chamber of Commerce, this book aims to analyse and highlight the rise of Mersin as an Ottoman port city. The advantages offered by its geography allowed this port to expand from a provincial back-water with a wooden pier in the first half of the 19th century to develop into one of the chief ports in the Eastern Mediterranean by the end of the 19th century. This transformation acted as a magnet for different communities, including Levantines, accelerating its social and commercial invigoration with new infrastructure such as piers, railways and road networks laid down, creating a new urban fabric. This transformation didn’t follow the typical route of an Ottoman town but that of a newly risen Mediterranean port.
This book is divided into 7 sections. Chapter 1 deals with Turkish maritime history, including that of pre-Seljuk, Seljuk period and the Ottoman era.
The second chapter of the book deals with the general history of Mersin, its geography, the origin of its name, the internal and external dynamics at play for its location, governance history and its development pre-19th century as it progressed towards a port city.
The third chapter is the main focus of the study; the Ottoman maritime trade of Mersin analysed with the aid of documents and examining the effects in the development of Mersin as a port city.
The fourth chapter examines further the Mersin maritime trade.
Chapter five deals with the traces of the social and daily life of Mersin between 1850-1922.
Chapter six concludes with a general appraisal of Mersin’s maritime history and culture.
The seventh and final chapter showcases original Ottoman archive documents and transcriptions concerning the port of Mersin and its piers.
The book has been sponsored by the Mersin Chamber of Commerce, published March 2013. ISBN: 978-605-137-239-6.
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