Mohamed Salah Turns Trabzon Rock into Tourist Magnet
High in the cool air of the Kürtdere plateau, in Turkey’s north-eastern Trabzon province, a once-forgotten rock now draws a steady stream of visitors. Not because of its shape, its history, or any folklore tied to the land.
Because Mohamed Salah sat on it.
The Egypt captain posted a set of photos from his trip to the plateau, perched casually on one of the rocks scattered across the landscape. No fanfare. No grand announcement. Just a star on a break, framed by sweeping green and mountain mist.
The internet did the rest.
The images raced across social media, shared and reshared by fans in Turkey and beyond. Before long, supporters and curious tourists began making the same journey Salah had taken, hunting for the exact rock where he’d posed. When they found it, they did what football fans do in 2024: they recreated the moment, phones in hand, striking the same pose as the Liverpool forward and Egypt’s talisman.
Locals didn’t take long to give it a name.
They now call it “Salahtaşı” — “Salah’s rock” in Turkish. An ordinary boulder in the middle of the plateau has turned into a minor landmark, folded into the mythology of one of the game’s global icons.
Turkish media quickly picked up the story, spotlighting the mix of pride and amusement in the area. In one report highlighted by Al Jazeera, a journalist jokingly asked the owner of a nearby facility whether the entire plateau might soon be renamed “Salah’s plateau.” She laughed off the idea, pointing out that these were her “Subaşı” facilities — a light reminder that life, and business, existed here long before the superstar’s visit.
The ripple effect kept growing.
A shop owner near the rock recorded a spontaneous message to Salah, inviting him back to the area. His wish was simple: for the Egyptian forward to visit his shop, meet him in person, and share a cup of tea. It was the kind of unpolished, genuine gesture that underlines just how personal football devotion can become.
As the crowds increased, local platforms stepped in to help. Turkish social media accounts began posting clips explaining the route to the heights Salah had visited, guiding fans step by step to “Salah’s rock.” Reports say a directional sign has now been installed, pointing visitors toward the exact spot so they can take their own photos and add another layer to the growing phenomenon.
This is not happening in a vacuum.
The rock craze comes on the heels of Salah’s dazzling display in the Trabzonspor shirt, a performance that lit up Turkish football. Against Galatasaray, one of the country’s giants, Salah delivered a masterclass: three goals, one assist, a 4-0 win, and his name dominating Turkish headlines and talk shows.
He walked off the pitch that night as the undisputed star of the league’s conversation. Days later, a rock he once sat on turned into a pilgrimage site.
In Turkey, Salah is not just a visiting superstar. He is now part of the landscape — literally.
