River in southern Turkey
The
Goksu River
(
Turkish
:
Goksu Nehri
), known in
antiquity
as the
Calycadnus
and in the Middle Ages as the
Saleph
, is a river on the
Ta?eli Plateau
in southern
Turkey
. Its two sources arise in the
Taurus Mountains
?the northern in the Geyik Mountains and the southern in the Haydar Mountains?and meet south of
Mut
. The combined stream then flows south into the
Mediterranean Sea
near
Silifke
.
Names
[
edit
]
Goksu
is
Turkish
for "Sky Water". It is also known as the Geuk Su.
[
citation needed
]
[
clarification needed
]
It was known to the
ancient Greeks
as the
Kalykadnos
(
Καλ?καδνο?
),
latinized
as the
Calycadnus
. It was known in the Middle Ages as the
Saleph
.
[
why?
]
Course
[
edit
]
The river is 260 km long and empties into the
Mediterranean Sea
16 km southeast of
Silifke
(in
Mersin
province). The
delta
of the Goksu, including
Akgol Lake
and
Paradeniz Lagoon
, is one of the most important breeding areas in the
Near East
; over 300 bird species have been observed. Among others,
flamingos
,
herons
,
bee-eaters
,
kingfishers
,
gulls
,
nightingales
and
warblers
breed here. The endangered
loggerhead sea turtle
(
Caretta caretta
) lays eggs here.
Due to demand for summer vacation apartments by the locals, and since necessary precautions are not taken and public attention is minimal in this part of Turkey, the ecosystem around Akgol Lake and Paradeniz Lagoon is in heavy danger.
History
[
edit
]
The
Ionian Greek
colony
of
Holmi
was founded near the mouth of the Calycadnus but suffered from
piracy
and raiders.
Seleucia
, the modern
Silifke
, was founded at a more defensible position a little further up the river by
Seleucus I Nicator
and was an important regional center for centuries, particularly noted as a center of
early Christianity
. The Romans bridged the river at Seleucia in 77 AD.
In 1190, while on the
Third Crusade
, Emperor
Frederick Barbarossa
drowned in the river, then known as the Saleph and located within the
Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
. The crusaders had reached
Asia Minor
in March, where the emperor continued his campaign to the
Holy Land
. Having plundered the city of
Konya
and defeated the forces of the
Sultanate of Rum
at the
Battle of Iconium
, his forces arrived on the banks of the river on June 10. Several contradictory statements reflect the circumstances of his sudden death, which have not been conclusively established. According to some sources, the emperor was lost in the current when he tried to cross the water near Silifke; other chronicles report he wished to cool down from the heat of the day and suffered a heart attack while taking a bath. The mortal remains were preserved according to the
Mos Teutonicus
process and transferred to
Tarsus
,
Antioch
and
Tyre
by his followers. Once without a leader, his crusader army dispersed; the remnants later joined the
Siege of Acre
. A monument in Barbarossa's honor was erected on the road from Silifke to Mut.
See also
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]
References
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