Narlıkuyu

Narlıkuyu (lit. 'pomegranate well' in Turkish) is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Silifke, Mersin Province, Turkey. Its population is 2,476 (2022). Before the 2013 reorganisation, it was a town (belde).

History
A small 4th century building, once part of a bath and baptism complex financed by Poimenios of Corycus, survives to the present in the area (see Narlıkuyu Museum).

The name of the area was recorded as Porto Calamie (lit. 'reeds harbor' in Italian) by Italian cartographers during the 15th century. The earliest modern record of the settlement has been made by the Turkish Statistical Institute in 1980 as Narlıdere. Previously the settlement consisted of a deserted bay and a few houses, but in 1994 the municipal organization was established under the name of Narlıkuyu.

Geography
Narlıkuyu is situated on the Mediterranean coast, located 65 km south west of Mersin. It is on the Mersin Antalya highway between two districts of Mersin; Erdemli and Silifke.

The town has many popular fishing restaurants, located around a small bay famous for its unusually cool and fresh water, fed by underground freshwater streams.

Administration
The township was established in 1994 with the fusion of several small villages.