A rock where Egyptian star Mohamed Salah, a player for Turkish football club Trabzonspor, sat during an outing on the Kurtdere Plateau in Trabzon province in north-eastern Turkey has become a destination for his fans to take souvenir photographs and imitate his sitting pose, after images of him at the site spread widely. The story began when Salah posted photographs of himself sitting on the rock during his visit to the plateau.
The name “Salah Taşı” spreads among plateau visitors
Turkish users soon shared videos on social media documenting visitors arriving at the site and queuing for their turn to sit on it in the same way as the Egyptian player. Some users named the rock “Salah Taşı” in Turkish, meaning “Salah’s rock”.
The photographs and videos showed large numbers of visitors taking turns to have their pictures taken at the site, as the pose adopted by the player became part of the plateau-visit experience. One activist posted a video on his Instagram account showing himself sitting on the rock and imitating the player, while repeating the phrase “Salah pozu”, meaning “Salah’s pose”.
The video was accompanied by a message of thanks to the Egyptian star, whom the user described as an “ambassador for tourism” after his photographs helped showcase the beauty of the area’s highlands. The user also predicted that more Egyptian tourists would visit Trabzon next year. The reaction extended to Trabzonspor fans, with one posting photographs of himself imitating Salah at the site and writing: “We are at the place where we understood Mohamed Salah.”
The rock’s fame boosts engagement among residents and traders
An activist expressed her surprise at the site’s fame on X, asking: “Who would have thought that a small rock on such a vast plateau would become famous and that people would flock to it to take photographs?” She added that a facility might be built there soon. The visit’s impact also reached local residents and owners of nearby commercial establishments, who responded to the site’s newfound fame.
These are my Subaşı establishments here
Turkish platforms published videos explaining in detail the route to the highlands visited by Salah, to help those wishing to reach the site.
An information sign was also installed specifically to direct visitors to “Salah’s rock” after it became a well-known destination on the plateau.
