Sertavul Geçidi is a high mountain pass, at an elevation of 1.660m (5,446ft) above the sea level, situated on the central Taurus Mountains at the border of Mersin Province with Karaman Province, in Turkey.
The Sertavul pass is located on the road from Konya over Karaman to the Mediterranean coast at Anamur or Silifke and it's traversed by the D715 road. The landscape around the pass differs from the other Taurus Mountains' passes due to its relatively flat form. Its character changes as the passage extends further south into the deep valley around Mut north of Mersin Province. While the terrain is mainly treeless and is often with no grass, the plains are covered with cushion plants. The karst landscape is dotted with limestone rocks and riddled with countless sinkholes. The drive is definitely worth it.
The surface of the road is asphalted, and chains or snow tyres can be required throughout the year. Servatul Pass was the location that Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa crossed the Taurus Mountains on the Third Crusade before he drowned in the River Calycadnus in 1190. This road is usually open all year, but it can be closed anytime when the access is not cleared of snow.
