Mersin Harbor
Encyclopedia
Mersin Harbor is a seaport facility in Mersin
, southern Turkey
. As one of the largest harbors in the country, it is Turkey's main gateway to the Mediterranean Sea
. It was constructed during the 1950s as a major government project.
in the 19th century, Mersin, then a small town, had become an important seaport for the export of cotton
in eastern Mediterranean Sea
because of the increased demand. In the later years, with a considerable hinterland
in Anatolia
, Mersin flourished as a major port. However, it lacked the harbor facilities and the Gulf of Mersin
was found to be insufficient for secure anchorage. So, after the proclamation of the Turkish Republic in 1923, a harbor insfracture for Mersin was suggested, and a company was established on 29 August 1929 both for the exploitation of the port and construction of the harbor insfracture.. Nevertheless, at the eve of the World War II
, the project was postponed and the company was acquired on 14 August 1942 by the government.
is just north of the harbor.
There is also a small marina
at the west side of the harbor.
company in four years. The level of the floor was lowered to an average depth level of 10 m (32.8 ft), between 6 and 14 m (19.7 and 45.9 ft) depending on the pier. The total area of dredging was more than 3.5 square kilometre and the mass of the total dregded material was about 8.4 million metric tonnes. Most of these material was spread out in front of the city to build a seaside park.
Mersin harbour has also an open storage space of more than 3 square kilometre.
.
, a list of remarkable engineering projects realized in the republican era of Turkey.
Mersin
-Mersin today:Today, Mersin is a large city spreading out along the coast, with Turkey's second tallest skyscraper , huge hotels, an opera house, expensive real estate near the sea or up in the hills, and many other modern urban...
, southern Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. As one of the largest harbors in the country, it is Turkey's main gateway to the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
. It was constructed during the 1950s as a major government project.
Background
During the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
in the 19th century, Mersin, then a small town, had become an important seaport for the export of cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
in eastern Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
because of the increased demand. In the later years, with a considerable hinterland
Hinterland
The hinterland is the land or district behind a coast or the shoreline of a river. Specifically, by the doctrine of the hinterland, the word is applied to the inland region lying behind a port, claimed by the state that owns the coast. The area from which products are delivered to a port for...
in Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
, Mersin flourished as a major port. However, it lacked the harbor facilities and the Gulf of Mersin
Gulf of Mersin
Gulf of Mersin is one of the widest gulfs in Turkey. It is in the northeast of the Levantine Sea between the gulfs of İskenderun and Antalya. - Location :...
was found to be insufficient for secure anchorage. So, after the proclamation of the Turkish Republic in 1923, a harbor insfracture for Mersin was suggested, and a company was established on 29 August 1929 both for the exploitation of the port and construction of the harbor insfracture.. Nevertheless, at the eve of the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the project was postponed and the company was acquired on 14 August 1942 by the government.
Construction
International auction by underbidding was held on 4 April 1954 and the groundbreaking ceremony was held on 25 April the same year. The awarded party was the Royal Nederlands Harbour Works Co. . The governmental inspection authority was in Mersin. While under construction, the first pier was put in use by 30 August 1958 and the last one by 30 June 1961. The construction of the complementary buildings and structures like administrative buildings, passenger lounges, warehouses and roads followed.Location
The harbor is situated in the Akdeniz district of Mersin. The Mersin Railway StationMersin Railway Station
The Mersin Railway Station is the main train station in the city of Mersin, Turkey. The station is located in the district of Akdeniz. The station is in use since 1886.- The railway :...
is just north of the harbor.
Quays
The main quays as of 1960s were the following:- Merchandise quay (comprising foreign, domestic and passenger piers)
- Cereal quay (with a 100,000 ton siloSiloA silo is a structure for storing bulk materials.Silo may also refer to:* Silo , a 3D modeling software* Silo , a defunct chain of retail electronics stores* SILO , used in Linux...
, which was the subject of another project) CaissonsCaisson (engineering)In geotechnical engineering, a caisson is a retaining, watertight structure used, for example, to work on the foundations of a bridge pier, for the construction of a concrete dam, or for the repair of ships. These are constructed such that the water can be pumped out, keeping the working...
are used in this quay for supporting the conveyor of the silo. These 12 caissons were the largest caissons used in Turkey up to 1960s. - Livestock and timber quay
- Fishery quay
- Bulk product (including mineral ore and coal) quay
- Petrolium quay (associated with Ataş refinery, which was the subject of another project)
- Maintenance quay
There is also a small marina
Marina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
at the west side of the harbor.
Breakwaters
There are two breakwaters:- The 2400 m (7,874 ft) east breakwater is a downwind breakwater. It is constructed by concrete blocks each weighted 60 metric tonnes.
- The 1600 m (5,249.3 ft) southwest breakwater is the main breakwater for the dominant wind of lodosLodosThe lodos is the strong south-westerly wind which predominates the Aegean Sea and Marmara Sea as well as the Mediterranean Coast of Turkey all the year round; it frequently raises high seas and may give violent westerly squalls...
in the Mersin area. It is constructed by block stones. 1.75 million metric tonnes of stone was carried by barges from a quarryQuarryA quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
around LimonluLimonlu, MersinLimonlu is small town in Mersin Province, Turkey - Geography :Limonlu is a coastal town at It is by the river Limonlu. It is a part of Erdemli district of Mersin Province...
town some 45 km (28 mi) west of Mersin.
Dredging
Bucket dredging of the sea floor was carried out by a DanishDenmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
company in four years. The level of the floor was lowered to an average depth level of 10 m (32.8 ft), between 6 and 14 m (19.7 and 45.9 ft) depending on the pier. The total area of dredging was more than 3.5 square kilometre and the mass of the total dregded material was about 8.4 million metric tonnes. Most of these material was spread out in front of the city to build a seaside park.
Warehouses
- Two 75 by 120 m (246.1 by 393.7 ft) warehouses with prestressed roof for transit goods.
- One 75 by 32 m (246.1 by 105 ft) passengers' warehouse
Mersin harbour has also an open storage space of more than 3 square kilometre.
Project completion and aftermath
The total cost of the project was 70 million Dutch guilders or about US$34 million, not including the cost of other smaller construction works in the harbor area (roads, railways, electrification, signalization, landscape works and private sector buildings etc.) In the later years, original design of the surface installations were changed and new piers were added. Also a fertiliser plant (Akgübre) was constructed within the harbor area. In 2007, the operating rights of the port was transferred within the governmental privatization programme to the consortium of PSA – AkfenPSA International
PSA International Pte Ltd, formerly Port of Singapore Authority is the second largest port operator in the world. The company's flagship operations are PSA Singapore Terminals, PSA HNN and PSA Marine...
.
One of the Turkey's top 50 civil engineering projects
Turkish Chamber of Civil Engineers lists Mersin Harbor as one of the fifty civil engineering feats in TurkeyFifty civil engineering feats in Turkey
Fifty civil engineering feats in Turkey or more formally 50 works in 50 years is the name of a list published by the Chamber of Civil Engineers in Turkey about 50 prestigious projects of the civil engineering in Turkey. The list has five subsections about regional development, general purpose...
, a list of remarkable engineering projects realized in the republican era of Turkey.