You may wonder what these pictures are. Well, I first was attracted by the contrast between the old style house and the humongous hotel in the back. Then I learned the old building was part of a "dershane". a training institute where pupils are prepared for university. I was shown around and even held a "guest lecture" (in my Dutch accented English). I took some pictures that I show here. Not representative of Mersin, maybe not even "dershaneler" (though the friendly atmosphere was similar to the one I encountered in a similar institute in Diayarbakır).