Mohamed Salah: A phenomenon that transcends the boundaries of football in Turkey

Mour wore traditional attire and a "shmagh" headdress in the team's colors, along with sunglasses that read "Mo Salah."

Before the match, Associated Press reporters who visited what has become known as "Salah's Rock" counted 46 visitors in two hours.

Mustafa Bektas (44), a Trabzonspor fan, said he traveled from Sakarya in western Turkey to attend the match and made the trip to the rock to take a picture, adding: "If you can bring a global star to one of the remote mountain villages in Trabzon, it means a lot to us."

Throughout the city, souvenirs and artwork featuring Salah's image have proliferated. Mural artist Yildiray Yildirim mentioned that he received several requests to paint murals of the Egyptian star on local shop and institution facades after he painted an image of him wearing a Trabzonspor jersey on a wall outside a park.

On Google Maps, the club's stadium has been renamed "Mohamed Salah Mosque," reflecting the fan enthusiasm that has reached a level of obsession with the Egyptian star.

Typically, a record-breaking football star's transfer from the Premier League to a lower-tier European league is seen as the beginning of the final stage of their professional career.

However, Salah's move from Liverpool to Trabzonspor at the age of 34 represents a new beginning in his career.

Salah made a name for himself as one of the top scorers in Liverpool's history and holds the world record for the most goals scored with the left foot in the history of the Premier League, but his last season was not as expected. He scored only 12 goals and had a public disagreement with coach Arne Slot before announcing his departure from the club last March.

Since joining Trabzonspor, fans and sports analysts believe Salah has regained his scoring touch, thanks to teammates who help him exploit his strengths, along with an entire city that has turned into a fan base for the Egyptian star.

The stands of Trabzonspor's stadium, which has a capacity of over 41,000, were nearly full during Monday's match. Fans cheered every time Salah touched the ball.

In the 71st minute, Salah scored one of the winning goals for his team in the top match, making him the top scorer in the Turkish Super League.

After the goal, chants erupted in the stands: "Allah Allah Allah, Mohamed Salah" and "Mohamed Salah the Trabzonite."

Chibuki Nwaiwu, the Nigerian defender and center-back for Trabzonspor, told reporters: "He is a top-class player and a great person; he adds great value to the team."

Trabzon, with a population nearing one million, is located on the Black Sea coast in Turkey and is known for its green plains, high elevations, and a monastery dating back to the Byzantine era, as well as its strong-willed residents and unique dialect.

The local economy relies on agriculture and tourism, and the city's team, which former Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was a board member of before entering politics, is considered the jewel of the city.

Local news reports indicated that Trabzonspor's social media accounts gained a million new followers after signing Salah. New direct flights between Cairo and Trabzon were also launched in August, anticipating increased demand from Egyptian tourists.

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