Salah transfer film takes Trabzon woman on unexpected journey
A 74-year-old woman featured in Trabzonspor’s transfer video travels from Türkiye to Saudi Arabia and Egypt as Salah’s arrival boosts interest in Trabzon.
A promotional film announcing Mohamed Salah’s move to Trabzonspor has taken an unexpected turn for 74-year-old Hatice Akbas, whose brief appearance alongside the Egyptian football star led to an international trip.
Akbas played a woman welcoming Salah into her home in the club’s transfer video, which was filmed in Trabzon’s Arakli and Surmene districts. In the story, she dreams that Salah has joined Trabzonspor before preparing a meal for him.
After the film attracted widespread attention, Akbas and her husband, Ali, were invited on a trip by an Egypt-based tourism company.
The journey took the couple first to Saudi Arabia, where Akbas performed umrah, before they continued to Egypt. In Cairo, she visited historical and tourist sites wearing a traditional kesan headscarf and carrying a Trabzonspor scarf.
Akbas said people frequently approached her for photographs and that she had never imagined a role in a football transfer video would take her abroad.
“Thanks to Salah, I never imagined I would be loved this much,” she said.
The couple were warmly received in Cairo and met with the Egyptian ambassador. A planned meeting with Salah’s parents could not take place because they were unwell.
Akbas said she was deeply moved by the trip and expressed hope that Salah, his wife and his children would one day visit her home in Trabzon.
Her husband said they had previously appeared as extras in television series and films, but that the Trabzonspor video had taken their experience far beyond anything they had expected.
Salah’s arrival also continues to draw attention to Trabzon’s landscapes.
After visiting Sumela Monastery, the Egyptian forward traveled to Kurtdere Plateau in the Macka district, where he photographed himself sitting on a rock overlooking the surrounding scenery.
The image spread widely on social media, prompting football fans and visitors to travel to the site and recreate the photograph.
The attention became so strong that heavier vehicle traffic was reported at the plateau. Content creators from XTG Spor later installed a sign reading “Salah Yaylasi”, or “Salah Plateau”, near the location.
The site subsequently faced another development when residents reported that a bench placed near the rock by Trabzon Metropolitan Municipality and the Salah Plateau sign had disappeared.
Local residents later installed their own sign reading “Mohamed Salah’s rock” beside the spot. They said they planned to install a security camera and put up a replacement sign.
Salah joined Trabzonspor in August 2026 on a two-year contract after leaving Liverpool, where he had played since 2017. His arrival has generated international attention for the club and brought additional interest to Trabzon and its tourist destinations.
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