Dana Island

Dana Island (Turkish: Dana Adası, also called Kargıncık Adası, Latin Pithyussa) is a small Mediterranean island of Turkey.

Geography

File:Dana ada.jpg

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Dana Adası lies parallel to south coast of Turkey at in the province of Mersin. The distance from the shore is 2.5 km. (≈ 1.55 mi or 1.35 nmi) The passage between the main land and the island which is known as Kargıcak strait is a convenient passage for maritime traffic. The shape of the island is roughly rectangular with dimensions 2.7 x 0.9 km. The highest peak is 250 metres (820 ft). Dana Adası is quite rocky and covered with macquis groves and yellow pine forest.

History

The island had been inhabited during the Roman and early Byzantine era. There are ruins of a few churches, graves, houses, aqueducts, a Roman bath and a harbour establishment at the north of the island. There are also some ruins at the southern coast of the main land facing the island. Probably, these two settlements were the control posts holding the two sides of the strait. According to some sources, the French merchants also used the island as their port during Middle Ages.

See also

• Aphrodisias of Cilicia