Berdan River


The Berdan, the ancient Cydnus, is a river in Mersin Province, south Turkey. The historical city of Tarsus is by the river and it is sometimes called the Tarsus River.

Geography

The main headwaters are in the Toros Mountains. There are two main tributaries: Kadıncık and Pamukluk. Total length of the river is . Although the river is quite short, the average discharge is, which is higher than most short rivers in the vicinity. The drainage basin covers. The river flows to the Mediterranean Sea at. Just north of Tarsus there is a waterfall on the river, which is a popular picnic area for Tarsus residents.

Dams

There are four dams on Berdan. These are used both for controlling floods and for producing electricity. But the lower reaches of the river flow in an agricultural area, and because of the pollution caused by fertilisers the dams in the lower reaches are not used for drinking water.
Name of the damConstruction dateInstalled power, MW
Kadıncık I197170
Kadıncık II197456
Berdan199610
Pamukluk200323.9

Trivia

The Berdan River flows in one of the warmest regions of Turkey, but its upper reaches in the Toros Mountains make the water much cooler than the surrounding streams. History has two very well known accounts of heath problems caused by swimming in the river. In 333 BC Alexander the Great and in 833 AD Caliph Al-Ma'mun both swam in the river and both fell ill ; Al Mamun died of the illness.
Cleopatra sailed up the river and first met Mark Antony aboard her boat.