Roman tombs at the water's edge
The mouths of the Roman necropolis are still visible in the cliff beside the falls, though the current has eroded most of them; what remains shows best when the flow drops in summer.
Nedim Ardoğa — CC BY-SA 3.0 · U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Daniel Phelps — Public domain · U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Daniel Phelps — Public domain · Suatbezeng — CC BY-SA 4.0
This waterfall exists by accident. In the sixth century the Byzantine emperor Justinian had the Berdan river (the ancient Cydnus) rerouted away from the heart of Tarsus to stop it flooding the city, and the diverted water poured straight over a Roman necropolis cut into the rock. It has been dropping across a broad step of soft conglomerate on the town's northern edge ever since, which is why you can still see the mouths of Roman tombs in the cliff beside the water, though the current has eaten away most of them over the centuries because the rock is so crumbly; what survives is best seen when the flow shrinks in summer. It is low and wide rather than tall, about four and a half metres of water spread over tiers, and its power depends entirely on the season. Since the Berdan Dam went up upstream, much of the river is skimmed off into irrigation canals: in winter and spring the falls roar with Taurus snowmelt, by late summer they can thin to a few ribbons that disappoint anyone who arrived on the strength of a photo. The water is cold all year and swimming is not allowed. What the place really is, is a family park with a waterfall in it. Tea gardens, fish and grill restaurants and picnic terraces line both banks, and the cool air coming off the water makes it the local refuge from the Çukurova heat. Entry is free, the site is open all day, and the cafés generally run well into the evening depending on season. The paths are level and fine for a pushchair; on weekends and summer evenings the tables fill with Turkish and Arab families alike. From Mersin it is about half an hour by car on the motorway, or roughly half an hour by train to Tarsus station followed by a short ride on a dolmuş marked 'Şelale' or 'Çağlayan Parkı'. Do not give it a whole day: an hour on the riverbank is enough, then carry on to the Eshab-ı Kehf cave and Taşkuyu Cave a few kilometres north, or back into Tarsus for the old bazaar and St Paul's Well.
The mouths of the Roman necropolis are still visible in the cliff beside the falls, though the current has eroded most of them; what remains shows best when the flow drops in summer.
The fish and grill restaurants and tea gardens on both banks are the best part of the visit, and the paths take a pushchair easily.
The falls were born of a sixth-century river diversion to save Tarsus from floods, and today their force is hostage to the Berdan Dam and the season.
Çağlayan Mahallesi, Şelale Caddesi, Tarsus
On its own, no. In July and August you may find little more than a few threads of water on the rock, and the Tarsus heat is heavy. Go in winter or spring if the waterfall itself is the point; in summer treat it as a cool riverside dinner inside a Tarsus day with the Eshab-ı Kehf cave and St Paul's Well, and it earns its place.
