Sebil, Mersin

Sebil
Town
Sebil Location in Turkey
Coordinates: 37°08′N 34°34′E
Country	Turkey
Province	Mersin Province
District	Çamlıyayla
Elevation	1,100 m (3,600 ft)
Population  (2012)
• Total	2,120
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code	33590
Area code	0324
Licence plate	33

Sebil is a town in Mersin Province, Turkey.

Geography

Sebil is a part of Çamlıyayla district which in turn is a part of Mersin Province. Distance between Sebil and Çamlıyayla is 6 km (3.7 mi). Sebil is located on southern slopes of Toros Mountains at 37°08′N 34°34′E. The average altitude is about 1,100 m (3,600 ft). The country about Sebil is chiefly formed of conglomerate and limestone. Just west of the town there is a canyon, approximately 400 m (1,300 ft) deep. The canyon had been formed by the rivulet Cehennem Deresi which is a tributary of Berdan River. The population of the town was 2120 as of 2012

History

Five centuries ago the nomadic Oghuz Turks (also called Yörük) used this location as their summer camps (so called yayla). They called the location Sebil meaning free (i.e., no rent for the camp). In later years observing the winter was not harsh, eventually they chose the area as their permanent settlement. Sebil was declared a township in 1972.

Economy

Sebil produces fresh fruits and vegetables. A secondary economic activity is animal husbandry. Domestic tourism in the canyon also seems promising with challenging tracking courses and game animals in the dense forest.