How Did Mo Salah Turn a Rock in Türkiye Into a Tourist Attraction?

Since joining Turkish club Trabzonspor at the start of the current season, Egyptian footballer Mohamed Salah has quickly become a phenomenon among Turkish fans, with thousands following everything from his performances on the pitch to the smallest details of his life in Trabzon.

That popularity has even turned a rock in the Kurt Dere highlands into an unexpected tourist attraction, after Salah shared a photo of himself during a visit to the natural landmarks around the city. The photo quickly spread online, prompting locals to search for the rock’s exact location and figure out how to reach it.

Soon, hundreds of people began visiting the spot to recreate Salah’s photo and take pictures beside what has become known as 'Mohamed Salah’s Rock'. Turkish social media users have since nicknamed it 'Salahtaşı', meaning 'Salah’s Rock', while reports suggest some tourism companies are preparing to organise trips to the newly popular destination.

The rock’s newfound fame comes as Salah is also enjoying a strong start to his Trabzonspor career. He scored a hat-trick in the club’s latest league match against leaders Galatasaray, taking his tally to seven goals and putting him at the top of the Turkish Süper Lig scoring charts. Trabzonspor now sit on 10 points, just three behind the league leaders.