A stone in a Trabzon highland has become an unlikely tourist attraction after Mohamed Salah shared a photo of himself sitting on it during a visit to the region.
The Liverpool star's social media post quickly went viral, prompting fans and visitors to travel to Kurtdere Highland in Maçka to recreate his pose. A sign reading “Salah Yaylası” was subsequently installed at the site, adding another layer to the footballer's unexpected impact on the area.
Visitors have since been lining up to sit on the same stone where Salah posed for his photograph. What was once an ordinary rock in a quiet highland has effectively become a new photo spot, with fans eager to capture their own version of Salah's picture.
Tuana Hatipoğlu, who traveled from Kocaeli to her hometown of Trabzon for a Galatasaray game, said she was surprised to see the usually quiet area attract so many visitors.
“I came to my hometown for the Galatasaray game. We also wanted to see the stone because it had become famous,” Hatipoğlu said. “This is the highland where I grew up and spent my childhood. It feels very strange to suddenly see everyone here. It was never this crowded. I never imagined a stone in the highland would become this famous.”
Hatipoğlu also welcomed the attention Salah's visit has brought to the area but urged visitors to protect its natural surroundings.
“It has been very good for us and for tourism,” she said. “We really enjoy watching him. A stone became famous, and thousands of people are now coming here. Our only concern is the trash. Please don't litter when you come here. Take your garbage back with you. This place is pristine, and we don't want it to be polluted.”
Gülsena Hatipoğlu said Salah's connection with Trabzon had also created excitement among local residents.
“It felt like a dream that Salah came to Trabzonspor, and it also feels like a dream that he came to our highland and took a photo,” she said. “We are already a team of dreams. Hopefully, we will crown this with a championship.”
She added that the area's popularity should be used to promote, rather than damage, the highland.
“It is such a beautiful place. Our only concern is that there won't be any trash here,” Hatipoğlu said. “Hopefully, we won't destroy this place. Instead, we can make it even more special.”
The Salah effect has also attracted visitors who had never previously explored the highland.
Bahtiyar Bekçi, who traveled from Istanbul to Trabzon for the derby, said Salah's photograph persuaded him to make the trip to Kurtdere after visiting the region.
“We used to come to Sumela Monastery, but we had never come up here,” Bekçi said. “After Salah took a photo here, this stone became known as the Salah stone, so we wanted to come. We cooled our feet in the stream and waited in line to take photos.”
Bekçi said tourists were also showing interest in the spot, adding that the growing crowds had transformed the atmosphere of the once-quiet area.
Bayram Bekçi, who also visited after the Galatasaray game, said sitting on the same stone as Salah made the experience particularly memorable.
“We came for the Galatasaray game. After the victory, we said, 'Let's stop by Salah's highland,'” he said. “It was my first time here and we loved it. He came from Liverpool to a highland in Maçka, and now we are sitting on the same stone. We are proud of him.”
