Stone Bridge (Adana)

The Seyhan River (formerly written Seihan, Sihun; ancient name: Ancient Greek: Σάρος, Sáros), alternatively known as Sarus (or in Turkish as Sarus Su), is the longest river of Cilicia and the longest of Turkey that flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The river is 560 km and flows southwest from its headwaters in the Tahtalı-Mountains (in Sivas and Kayseri provinces) in the Anti-Taurus Mountains to the Mediterranean Sea via a broad delta. Its main tributaries are Zamantı and Göksu, which unite in Aladağ, Adana to form the Seyhan River. The Zamantı River originates from the Uzun Plateau in Pınarbaşı, Kayseri and crosses Tomarza, Develi and Yahyalı districts in Kayseri. Its sources were reported being in the Taurus Mountains in Cataonia. It flowed through Cappadocia by the town of Comana, then through Cilicia. It is noted by numerous ancient authors including Livy, Xenophon, Procopius, Strabo, Ptolemy, Appian, Pliny the Elder, and Eustathius of Thessalonica who erroneously calls it Sinarus.50 km from its mouth, Seyhan River flows through the city of Adana, the only settlement situated on the river. Several bridges and footbridges cross the river in Adana including the Stone Bridge, a 2nd-century Roman bridge. Ancient city of Augusta was also situated on the river, corresponding today to the east side of the Çatalan reservoir. The river meets the Mediterranean Sea at Cape Deli.

Adana Center for Arts and Culture is a public facility for cultural events, operating at the historical state building of Adana that served as a school for most of its history. The center is located on the west bank of Seyhan River just south of the Taşköprü, on Seyhan Street.

Ramazanoğlu Hall is the old government residence of the Ramadanids located in Adana. Currently used as a cultural center, it is one of the oldest examples of a mansion in Turkey. Located southeast of the Ulu Camii, it was the Harem of the Ramadanid family and besides being a fine expression of modesty of the emirate, it is also an important work resembling the Mamluk mansions of Egypt.

Seyhan is a municipality and district of Adana Province, Turkey. Its area is 444 km2, and its population is 795,012 (2022). It forms the core of the Adana urban area. Seyhan is home to 35 percent of the residents of Adana Province and almost half of the residents of the city of Adana. It is the fifth most populous metropolitan district in Turkey. Seyhan is the first settlement area of Adana and currently the administrative, business and cultural center of the city. It includes the historical neighbourhood of Tepebağ, and the landmarks such as Büyüksaat, Ulu Camii, Ramazanoğlu Hall and Sabancı Merkez Camii. Adana Center for Arts and Culture, Sabancı Cultural Center, Seyhan Cultural Center and Metropolitan Theatre are also located in the district. The district gets its name from the river that forms the east border.

Ilter Uzel Museum of Medicine and Dentistry(Turkish: İlter Uzel Tıp ve Diş Hekimliği Müzesi) is a museum located in the Tepebağ neighborhood of Adana, which opened to visitors in 2020. It is Turkey's first dentistry museum. Objects such as professional tools used by former medical doctors and dentists, as well as medical history books, are exhibited. The museum is named after Ilter Uzel, one of the first dentists in Turkey to earn a doctorate in the field of medical history and deontology, and its collection consists of objects that Uzel began collecting from 1972 onwards. In the 1970s, Uzel, who earned a doctorate in medical history and focused on the subject of the first Turkish medical manuscripts in his thesis, began building his collection in 1972 when he started writing his thesis. Over the next 50 years, he gathered objects related to the history of dentistry through purchases and donations. Uzel also created miniatures of significant events and figures in the history of dentistry, thus assembling a collection of approximately 8,000 objects, including rare instruments and paintings. The museum housing Uzel's collection was inaugurated on November 9, 2020, during a ceremony held at a two-story, ten-room historic mansion located in the Tepebağ neighborhood. The building was expropriated by the Seyhan Municipality in 2018 and, after being restored, was allocated for the museum. The establishment, organization, sections, and information about the objects and paintings displayed in the museum were compiled into a book in 2021, published in both Turkish and English. The 100-page book was authored by İlter Uzel. The museum, granted "private museum" status by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, was awarded in 2021 in the "Collection and Archive Museums" category at the Museum Encouragement Competition organized by the Historic Cities Union. It was deemed worthy of the award due to its collection of rare artifacts and its location within a historical building that has been repurposed with a new function.

Atatürk Museum exhibits War of Independence and the first years of Republic at the mansion, Atatürk stayed during his trips to Adana. Overlooking to the Seyhan River, the museum is located on Seyhan Street and it is open to public every day except Mondays. Atatürk's visit to Adana is officially celebrated in this building every year on 15 March.

The Great Mosque of Adana (Turkish: Adana Ulu Camii), also known as the Ramazanoglu Mosque Turkish: Ramazanoğlu Camii), is a 16th-century mosque in Adana, Turkey. It forms part of a complex (külliye) that includes a madrasah and a mausoleum (türbe). The buildings are on Kızılay street, next to the Ramazanoğlu Hall.

Sabancı Merkez Camii (English: Sabancı Central Mosque) in Adana is the second largest mosque in Turkey. The exterior of the mosque (and its interior decoration) is similar to the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, though it has six minarets, similar to the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) in Istanbul. The mosque, which went into service in 1998, was constructed upon a confiscated Armenian cemetery. It is built on a total of 52,600 square metres (566,000 square feet) of land and has a closed area of 6,600 square metres (71,000 square feet).Sabancı Central Mosque was built jointly by Turkish Religious Foundation and Sabanci Foundation. The proprietorship of the mosque belongs to Adana Religious Affairs Foundation and its usage rights have been transferred to Adana Provincial Office of Mufti.

Büyük Saat (English: The Great Clock Tower) is a historical clock tower in Adana, rising 32 m (105 ft) high. The tower symbolizes the modernization of the city, which lasted from 1863 to the Adana massacre. During this period many Ottoman and European businesses, moved to the city for the exploding cotton trade. The tower was constructed by the mayor Kirkor Bezdikyan on the main street (Roland street, now known as Ali Münif) who was credit for starting the first modern municipal governance. Bezdikyan was also the architect of the tower together with another Armenian architect Kasbar Agha Bezdikyan.

Hacı Ömer Sabancı Cultural Center is a complex in Adana that is composed of a theatre hall, public library, fine arts gallery and an exhibition hall. It has been established on an area of 1.5 hectare, located at the west end of the Seyhan Bridge across the Sabancı Mosque.

Adana Cinema Museum (Turkish: Adana Sinema Müzesi) is a museum in Adana, Turkey dedicated to the cinema of Turkey, in particular in relation with directors, actors and producers native to the city. Established in 2011 in a renewed old Adana house, the museum is situated on the west side of Seyhan River. The ground floor of the museum is reserved for the movie posters. At least one name in each poster (director, actor, scriptwriter etc.) belongs to a citizen of Adana. In the first floor, there is a room exhibiting the photos, movie posters and belongings of the renowned Turkish actor Yılmaz Güney (1937-1984). There are life-size figures of Yılmaz Güney, painter Abidin Dino and author Orhan Kemal (1914-1970). Photos and artifacts on display of other well-known people from Adana associated with cinema are writer Yaşar Kemal (born 1923), actor Şener Şen (born 1941) and his father actor Ali Şen (1918-1989), Muzaffer İzgü (born 1933), Ali Özgentürk (born 1947), Orhan Duru, Aytaç Arman (born 1949), Bilal İnci, Meral Zeren, Menderes Samancılar, Nurhan Tekerek and Mahmut Hekimoğlu. There is also a library in the museum.

Surp Asdvadzadzin Cathedral (Armenian: Սուրբ Աստվածածին եկեղեցի, lit. 'Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God'; Turkish: Aziz Meryem Ana Kilisesi), was the Armenian Apostolic cathedral of Adana, Cilicia, during the rule of Ottoman Empire. The cathedral was built in 1840 and had served the Armenian Apostolic community until 1922. Aramian high school and the Armenian Apostolic diocese were also built later in the church property. Surp Asdvadzadzin Cathedral was re-built in 1840 at the site of the former Surp Asdvadzadzin Church that was built in the 13th century during the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. In 1890, under the leadership of Adana archbishop Mkrtich Vehapetyan, the Armenians of Adana celebrated the 50th anniversary of the church. The church was called the "Upper Church" back then because of its position being situated on the hill, and St. Stepanos Church was called the "Lower Church" for being on the plain. Major expansion work completed at the church in the early 1900s by the archbishop Muşeğ Seropyan with the support of the Vali Bahri Paşa. The church, thus, was converted into a cathedral and hosted the seat of the archbishop. Aramian high school was also built at this time. After the deportation of Adana Armenians in the course of Armenian genocide, the church building was used as a military depot. With the French rule commenced in 1918, the cathedral was restored to its origin; though after 3 years, Christians had to evacuate Cilicia with the withdrawal of French. The government of Turkey had confiscated the building in 1923 and converted it into a state building. In the 1930s, the building was rented out to Baki Tonguç, a local cinema entrepreneur. He had opened the largest indoor Cinema Hall of Adana, Tan Sineması, which served until late 1960s. The cathedral was demolished in the 1970s, to open space for the construction of the regional headquarters of Turkish Central Bank (Turkish: Merkez Bankası). During the first 50 years of the Republic, Armenian cultural heritage had been largely demolished, destroyed or abandoned in an Anti-Armenian sentiment.