Mahmutlar is a city where Russians speak Turkish. Life in Mahmutlar. dollars to tenge

In the West there is the concept of “Russian mafia”. Russian in this mafia is only a name: as a rule, this is the name given to gangs of immigrants from the former USSR, and Russians are by no means in the majority there.

In Turkey there is the concept of the “Russian city of Mahmutlar”. In general, you understand the analogy) Ukrainians, Kazakhs, Tatars and even (you won’t believe it!) Russians have created their own international here and, by the way, live very well and amicably. Here are some stories from this unusual and interesting city.

Mahmutlar: a corner of the USSR in Turkey

Mahmutlar is a small, but very unusual town, located 10 km east of Alanya. Here people from the USSR speak Turkish, and Turks speak Russian. And in German: there are a lot of Germans here too. But English is not in honor.

Mahmutlar’s ​​Russian-speaking groups on social networks are not a bunch of ill-mannered rabble, which, unfortunately, are many groups about Thailand. People from the sister republics communicate politely, sell and buy something, help each other with advice (which, again, is rare for online Pattaya, where they would rather curse you than answer a basic question).

Of course, anything can happen here too. But still, Mahmutlar is a town where Ukrainians, Russians and Turks have maintained good neighborly relations, so diligently destroyed by politicians to serve their interests. We even wrote this article, let’s say, in collaboration with some residents of Mahmutlar. In general, an interesting town. But a little weird :)

Realtors from the past

The main occupation of Russian-speaking residents of Mahmutlar is the rental and sale of real estate. Sales, as a rule, are handled by professional realtors who master the art of negotiation and even know that it would be nice to treat the client to tea. But rent... Of course, there are professionals in this area, but mostly...

Basically, renting housing in Mahmutlar is the lot of Ukrainian housewives. Maybe their husbands took them from the farm on Garna Turechchina, but no one can take the farm from them. There are real estate agencies in Mahmutlar at every turn, but if you want to rent an apartment, it is useless to go there: for some reason, serious realtors are reluctant to deal with such trifles and they pass them on to housewives. In local language this is called “putting the apartment under management.” So the rental market in Mahmutlar is “managed” by the same anecdotal women who met us in the 70s at the Odessa train station with a sign “Apartment for rent”. Only instead of a station they now have Facebook. Everything else remained unchanged, including customer service skills. So don’t be surprised if a businesswoman shows up to a meeting with a screaming child, torments you with endless “what do you want for that kind of money,” and even starts scolding you if you don’t immediately move into the housing offered to you. Why were you wasting her time then?!

If you want to rent an apartment in Mahmutlar, do not contact a real estate agency. Don't waste your time. Look on social networks for an aunt with a sign “Rent a house by the sea.”

100 dollars in tenge

I am an unsociable person and when meeting a stranger I would rather eat him than start a conversation. But Mahmutlar somehow encourages communication.

Bakht and I talked on the beach. He is a pensioner; he moved to Mahmutlar from Almaty with his wife and grandson six months ago.

“My grandson constantly suffers from allergies at home. Last year the whole family came to Turkey on vacation - it was a breeze! We returned home and it started again. So we took our grandson with us - his parents work at home, and we relax here.”

“How is it in winter, is it cold?” - I ask.

“Come on, is +20 really cold? Of course, sometimes it can be 10 or 5 degrees, but very rarely. We swam in the sea almost all winter!”

Now it’s clear why there are so many of ours here :) Plus, Turkish cuisine is much more familiar to us than Thai cuisine, and fruits and vegetables for pennies. But meat is expensive.

“Yes, dear,” Bakht agrees. “Yesterday we bought two kilos of beef in Migros and paid 100 dollars.”

“It can’t be,” I say, “in Migros a kilo of beef costs 45 liras, that’s 15 dollars. So, two kilos is 30 dollars. Yes, it’s expensive, but not a hundred!”

“I agree, in lira it’s 30 dollars,” agrees Bakht, “and in tenge it’s 100 dollars.”

“How is this – 100 dollars in tenge?! – I was stunned. – 100 dollars – they are 100 dollars, even in tenge, even in lira, even in rubles. And if 2 kilos of beef cost 90 liras, then that’s 30 dollars and no options.”

In general, I still haven’t figured out what “100 dollars in tenge” is. Oh, these exchange rates))) And I immediately remembered the epic argument:

This is what the beaches of Mahmutlar look like in winter. It turns out that you can swim here in January too. If you really want to.

Where are you from?

"Where are you from?" - perhaps the most popular question when meeting people in Mahmutlar International.

To the question “Which country are you from?” Natalya sadly replies: “We are refugees from Lugansk...” In 2014, the war left her without a roof over her head and without a livelihood. Natalya and her children fled to Turkey, settled down, and found work in real estate here. “Yes,” we say, “it’s quiet and calm here, not like in Lugansk.” “Yes, everything was fine with us until they came...” Natalya explodes, but then it dawns on her and her face changes: What country are you from? “From Russia,” we answer, and Natalya immediately turns the conversation to the weather.

By the way, about the weather: Alanya and its suburb Mahmutlar are considered the warmest places in Turkey and even throughout Europe. And rains - especially in summer - are very rare here.

“They used to envy us, but now they call us traitors”

Vladimir Nikolaevich and Tatyana Alekseevna are Muscovites, pensioners, and have been living in Mahmutlar for several years. “At first we wanted to settle in Bulgaria, but it was very poor and Soviet,” says Vladimir. — You leave the resort area and the “scoop” begins. But here we are happy with everything: people, prices and especially the climate. In summer, however, it is very hot, so in July we always go to Moscow for a couple of months.”

Vladimir and Tatyana bought two apartments in Mahmutlar: one for themselves, the other for their children to come on vacation. But the children will not come, the children watch Russian TV and believe it, and not their own parents. Therefore, the second apartment was put up for sale.

“Before, everyone envied us that we lived by the sea, it was warm all year round, there was fresh fruit,” says Tatyana Alekseevna. “Now many of our friends have stopped communicating with us. They are called traitors to the motherland. And for what? Because we want to live in a good climate? In Russia, we were constantly in hospitals; my husband would no longer be alive there. And here there is such air, such nature, we don’t even cough! Why do we have excellent relations with the Turks, but now we only receive anger from Russia?”

New Russians

Turkish women - especially young ones - dress freely, in a European way. They mostly wear jeans, but short skirts are not uncommon, especially in the summer (this is included in our selection). Some wear headscarves. Having traveled a thousand kilometers across the Turkish Mediterranean, we met only two women, covered from head to toe in black clothes with slits for the eyes. It was at a market in the Russian city of Mahmutlar, and these women were also Russian. Not Russian-speaking, but precisely Russian (or Ukrainian) - they communicated in the purest language of Tolstoy, and their blond sons fussed around. And the daughters - judging by their height, about five or seven years old - are also wrapped in ninja costumes.

How strong is the craving for extremes in our people?

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Mahmutlar is located on the Mediterranean coast, just 12 km from Alanya. The resort area is considered attractive for recreation; the city is surrounded by mountains with pine forests, and the sea water has an emerald color. The advantage of the area is the opportunity to purchase or rent real estate in an environmentally friendly place.

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general information

In the past, Mahmutlar was considered a small village, but now it infrastructure is developing rapidly. The city has many small shops, discos, restaurants, and beauty salons. Large supermarkets are open: Alanyum, Kipa and Metro.

The town has enough pharmacies, ATMs, and an oriental bazaar. It is worth noting equipped beaches, sports and children's playgrounds, and a landscaped park area.

There is no traffic congestion in Mahmutlar; the entire town can be walked around in two to three hours. Any apartment in the resort area will be within walking distance from the sea coast.

In the vicinity of the city you can see the ancient cities of Laertos and Syedra, but the city itself is distinguished by modern architecture. The natural attractions of Mahmutlar include the Dimchay River. It attracts tourists thanks to its caves and fish restaurants. At these establishments you can try freshly caught trout and admire the aquatic beauty of the river. To understand all the advantages of this place, you should look at its advantageous location on the map:

A few photos will help you immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the city.

Beach holiday

Mahmutlar is suitable for tourists who prefer inexpensive and relaxing holiday. The price category of the city looks more attractive, unlike, for example, Alanya. At the same time, the resort area has its own characteristics of a beach holiday.

The water on the coast is clean, and the coastline stretches for several kilometers. The beach is sandy and pebble, but there is also a sandy shore. Entering the water is unsafe, as there are large and small stones.

There are various water attractions and many bars and cafes on the beach. If you wish, you can ride a banana boat, ride a boat, jump from a slide, and also quench your thirst with soft drinks.

Weather

The climate of the resort town is subtropical, so sunny days are present all year round. In summer The weather is hot, the temperature in the shade is about 30 degrees Celsius. In the evening the heat subsides, you can take a walk near the sea and around the city.

in autumn The weather in Mahmutlar is comfortable, you can safely spend the first half of the season on the beach, the average temperature is 25 °C. By the end of November it becomes cool, rainy days begin to appear, and the temperature drops to 15 degrees.

in winter The town is warm, the average temperature is between 12 and 16 degrees. A good time for walking and exploring the surrounding area.

Spring in the resort area it is short and rainy. From April the temperature rises to 20 degrees, and from May the swimming season opens.

Renting and selling real estate

The Mahmutlar real estate market is actively expanding, it displays both economy class apartments and luxury apartments. The city center has all the necessary infrastructure, while properties on the outskirts offer quieter living. Let's look at the prices of houses and apartments in ascending order.

To rent an apartment in Mahmutlar, you should focus on the comfort level of the options offered. The cost of renting apartments starts from 15 euros (day) and above. For this money you will be offered:

Russian tourists and residents

The city's population is approximately forty thousand people, but half of them are foreigners - homeowners. At the height of the season, the number of residents of the town increases to 70,000 thousand. German, Irish, Dutch and Russian families permanently reside in Mahmutlar.

The Republic of Turkey has introduced official permission for the purchase of real estate by Russians since 2004. Since that time, the number of Russian property owners in the town has been increasing.

According to the latest data 14,000 people from Russia became residents of the resort town. There are many Russian signs in the city, for example, on shops and cafes. It’s easy to meet a compatriot on the street and hear Russian speech.

Many Russian people move to Mahmutlar for permanent residence. Official cultural associations work for immigrants, newspapers and magazines are published in Russian, sections and circles function.

What do displaced people face? Many people have no difficulties with work; Russian-speaking personnel are required in the service sector, tourism, and catering. Pre-school education in Turkey is paid, but school education is free. The social programs of the Turkish Republic will also apply to displaced people.

Tours and excursions

There are few places to see in the city itself, but the proximity of Alanya allows you to choose interesting tours and excursions.

Perhaps this place on the Mediterranean coast is one of the most discussed among both those who already live here and those who are just planning to do so. Opinions are diametrically opposed. Some people, focusing only on reviews on the Internet, even refuse to look at this area. For some, Mahmutlar becomes a beloved home. Let's try to understand all the pros and cons.

In ancient times, the small coastal village was part of an ancient city with the poetic name Laertes, founded, according to legend, by Claudius. There was a port here. The city was built of marble and limestone. The remains of the old buildings are still preserved. Nearby there are two other ancient cities - Naula and Syedra, once prosperous and lively.

Now Mahmutlar is one of the suburbs of Alanya, which in 1974 became the first municipality of this cozy town located on the Mediterranean Sea. Of course, it is now difficult to imagine what Mahmutlar was like 40 years ago, when there were no luxury multi-storey complexes, like the now famous Azura Park, Yenisei or Gold City. Mountains, banana plantations and endless turquoise sea... The main activities are agriculture and tourism. Now Mahmutlar ranks first in the Alanya region in terms of the speed of economic and trade development. The population is only 25,000 people according to official statistics, and in the summer this figure grows at least twice due to tourists and property owners. And all factors indicate that this is not the limit. Mahmutlar also occupies a leading position in the sale of real estate to foreigners.

Now new houses here are literally growing out of banana plantations, like mushrooms after a tropical rain. Construction, rental and sale of real estate are the leading sectors of the economy of this region. This is easy to verify. New projects are immediately noticeable, and one building in the center of Mahmutlar can house three real estate agencies at the same time. True, it is worth recognizing that not everyone can be trusted, even if they assure you with oriental warmth of their devotion and honesty, promising to show you absolutely stunning and indecently cheap apartments from uncle Ibrahim or brother Gokhan. There are some pitfalls, such as problems with documents and violation of agreements. There are few real estate professionals, but it is better to work with them and avoid unnecessary risks.
It is worth recognizing that the density of buildings in Mahmutlar is quite high, and these are mainly multi-storey buildings. This is a real mini-city, the boundaries of which are not at all necessary to leave, although transport to the center of Alanya runs regularly. The Mahmutlar real estate market is mainly represented by residential apartment complexes. Most of them are within walking distance from the beach or on the first line. Since there are few large hotels here, access to the sea is open. It is even possible to choose a much-desired apartment with a sea view, so that you can sit on the balcony of your own home and watch sunrises and sunsets. Moreover, the prices are quite realistic. If you still want a villa in Mahmutlar, this is also possible, although you will have to give up proximity to the beach and all infrastructure. But you will have your own home, where you can retire and set your own rules.

Mahmutlar is happily chosen by families with children, retired people, and simply free people who have decided to start a new life in Turkey. There is no city bustle here, but at the same time, it is a lively place where something is constantly happening. Yoga and psychology classes are held, interesting restaurants are opened (even, for example, Georgian), concerts are held, and Russian holidays are celebrated. There is already a kindergarten where Russian teachers work, a “Russian school” is to open, and negotiations are underway regarding the construction of a chapel. There are still many plans and ideas ahead that will definitely be implemented, making Mahmutlar even more attractive for buying real estate in Turkey.

Mahmutlar is a small resort village 12 kilometers from Alanya. There is no exquisite architecture, alluring landscapes, or special entertainment. But there is a warm Mediterranean Sea, huge strips of beach and affordable prices. The resort is located far from the nearest airport, so a vacation will be cheaper in Alanya or Antalya, even at the height of the beach season. This is a well-equipped, cozy town, where there are more local residents than package tourists. It is being intensively built up with spacious villas, mid-range hotels and boarding houses. Mostly vacationers are British, French and German pensioners. Quiet, family place.

How to get to Mahmutlar

The nearest airport is in Antalya. A long transfer to the hotel awaits you – 3 hours. Therefore, prices in Mahmutlar are low. But in the near future this problem will be solved: a new airport is being built 30 kilometers from the city.

Cuisine and restaurants

The main dishes are those prepared at the hotel. There are separate cafes and street stalls with fast food, but they are popular only during the tourist season. You can try Turkish cuisine in any establishment. Sights and excursions. In the center of the city there is a nice small park where local artists hold vernissages during the tourist season, selling handmade crafts, souvenirs as gifts, and local fruits and vegetables.

Entertainment

The place is significant because there is essentially no special entertainment here. This is why his guests appreciate him. Leisure is not limited by anything. If you want, lie on the beach and sunbathe. If you want, swim in the sea. If you want, sit with a book in a coastal cafe or rent a bike to look at the nearby area.

Near the city there are ruins of ancient cities; they are not protected in any way. They haven’t had time to turn them into museums yet.

Photos