Holiday Rush in Hatay, Home to Turkey's Longest Coastline

In Hatay's Samandağ district, which fell into silence following last year's devastating earthquake, a similar level of pre-earthquake holiday rush was observed due to the nine-day holiday and hot weather at the 14-kilometer-long beach. The Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes had caused significant destruction in Hatay's Samandağ district, leading to a quiet holiday season last year. However, as the wounds from the earthquake began to heal and residents returned to their homes, there was a surge of activity on Samandağ beach, Turkey's longest coastline, during the Eid al-Adha holiday. With temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, people sought relief in the cool waters of the Mediterranean. The crowd at the public beach was also captured from the air by drone footage. Hatay Metropolitan Municipality's Fire Department lifeguards remained on high alert for any drowning incidents.

"The Only Way to Cool Off in Hot Weather is to Swim in the Sea"

Ahmet Kimyeci, who mentioned spending the holiday at the beach, said, "We came to our house by the beach for the holiday. We're spending the holiday here. The weather is hot, but the sea is normal. It can be better or worse than this. The only way to cool off in hot weather is to swim in the sea. We came with our grandchildren. The beach is nice but needs some maintenance. It's crowded now, but it will get even more crowded in a few hours. You can swim until 8 PM. We have a pleasant sea. With the weather being so hot, this is the only way to cool off. We're spending the holiday like this."

"I Come Twice a Month to Escape This Heat"

Nevzat Açık, who described Samandağ beach as one of the largest in the world, said, "The weather is very hot, so we threw ourselves into the sea. The weather is very hot, so everyone came to the sea. The beach is crowded. Since it's a holiday, everyone has come for vacation. I come twice a month to escape this heat," he said.