POYRAZKOY
Poyrazkoy is 30 nautical miles from West Istanbul Marina
Poyrazkoy is a fishing village on the Anatolian side on the way from the Bosphorus to the Black Sea.
Poyrazkoy has a natural beauty, it is surrounded by the sea and forest. One of the mandatory places to visit here is the fortress of Yoros. The fortress in the area of Anadolukavagy has been such since the time of the Roman Empire. After weakening the empire, the fortress passed into the hands of the Genoese government and was controlled by them for a long time, which is why it is believed that this is a Genoese fortress.
Furthermore, you can find the tomb of Joshua here. The tomb of Joshua has been accepted as a holy location for many religions. In Turkey this place is called Yuşa Dağı (Mount Joshua) and Dev Dağı (Giant Mountain). On the hill were built a small mosque and tekke (shelter for dervishes). In addition, a stone and brick wall was built around the grave, and workers were assigned for the constant care and supervision of the tomb. Since this place aroused great interest among people, on the hill constantly there were crushings. Because of this Sultan Selim III (1789-1808) was forced to prohibit the reading of the life of Muhammad, motivating his decision “by the necessity to stop the strife”.
The present view of the tomb of Joshua acquired in 1863, when Sultan Abdul-Aziz asked to restore and renovate buildings (the old mosque was damaged by fire). According to one legend, Joshua was the standard-bearer of the Prophet Moses, and during the battle near the mountain he was mortally wounded and buried here. In other memories it is said that this is the highest peak observed from the Black Sea, that’s why it was called Joshua, which means salvation.
Many Muslims revere this place as a saint, come here, asking for healing from disease. In the Islamic tradition, it is believed that buried on Mount Joshua. The Sufis revere Joshua as the standard-bearer of Saint Moses (Moses), and, according to legend, it is on this mountain that he is buried. According to other theories, the tomb of Joshua is the grave of Jesus Christ. For Jews, Joshua is one of the 4 great saints.
