Zeyne 3.07

Zeyne is a town in Mersin Province, TurkeyGeographyZeyne at is a part of Gülnar district which in turn is a part of Mersin Province. It is west of Göksu River with an altitude of Distance to Gülnar is and to Mersin is The population was 1721 as of 2012.HistoryHistory of Zeyne is more or less intermingled with that of Gülnar. During Middle Ages it was a part of the Karamanid beylik (principality). After Karamanids were defeated by the Ottoman Empire it was incorporated into Ottoman realm in the 15th century. In 1972 the town was renamed as Sütlüce and Sütlüce was declared a township. Nevertheless, the new name was not widely accepted and the government decided to return to former name in 2007Sheik Ali Semerkandi (Ali of Semerkand) is an important figure of Zeyne history. He was a Muslim religious leader in Semerkand (modern Uzbekistan) He travelled to Anatolia and settled in Zeyne in 1434. He stayed in Zeyne and Karaman during the rest of his life and died in Zeyne in 1457. Today a mosque had been built next to his tomb in Zeyne. There is a spring just east of the town where very old trees so called monumental trees (Anıt ağaçlar) have been grown. According to mitology that spring had been created by Ali Semarkandi.EconomyThe town is a typical agricultural town. Olives and various fruits like apricots, figs and grapes are produced. Dairying is also an important econonic activity.