Mersin is a large city and a port on the Mediterranean coast of southern Turkey. It is part of an interurban agglomeration, the Adana-Mersin Metropolitan Area, and lies on the western part of Çukurova, a geographical, economic and cultural region.

Mersin is an important hub of Turkey's economy, and Turkey's largest seaport is located in the city. Mersin's nickname in Turkey is "Pearl of the Mediterranean", and the city hosted the 2013 Mediterranean Games. Mersin is the provincial capital of the eponymous Mersin Province of Turkey.

Because the city has been a crossroads for centuries, the local culture is a medley of civilizations. Mersin has a State Opera and Ballet, the fourth in Turkey after Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara. Mersin International Music Festival was established in 2001 and takes place every October.

The photography associations Mersin Fotograf Dernegi (MFD) and Mersin Olba Fotograf Dernegi (MOF) are amongst the most popular and active cultural organizations in the city.

There are six museums within the Mersin's urban area; Mersin Museum, Mersin Atatürk Museum, Mersin Naval Museum, Mersin State Art and Sculpture Museum, Mersin Urban History Museum, Mersin Water Museum.

The local cuisine of Mersin is well-known in Turkey, and restaurants specializing on Mersin's cuisine can be found all over Turkey. The provincial cuisine includes specialties such as:

• Ciger kebap, (liver on mangal), typically served on lavas with an assortment of meze at 12 skewers at a time,
• Tantuni, a hot lavas wrap consisting of julienned lamb stir-fried on a sac on a hint of cottonseed oil,
• Bumbar or mumbar, lamb intestines filled with a mixture of rice, meat and pistachios, that are served either grilled or steamed, famous throughout the Levant
• Cezerye, a lokum made of sweet carrots, covered in ground pistachios or coconuts,
• Karsambaç, a variety of shaved ice served with pekmez or honey as toppings,
• Künefe, a wood-oven baked dessert based on a mixture of cheese and pastry; known all throughout the Levant,
• Kerebiç, a shortbread filled with pistachio paste, also famous throughout the Levant,
• Salgam suyu, a beverage made of fermented red carrots, very popular in Southern Turkey.