Cleopatra's Gate is a city gate of Tarsus, in Mersin Province, Turkey, named after the Egyptian (Ptolemaic) queen Cleopatra VII.
Cleopatra's Gate is a city gate of Tarsus, in Mersin Province, Turkey, named after the Egyptian (Ptolemaic) queen Cleopatra VII.
Tarsus, located in the region known as Cilicia Pedias in Antiquity (modern south-central Turkey), was an important city during both the ancient and the medieval eras. It was the capital of Roman province of Cilicia. In 41 BC, Mark Antony during his struggle against Octavian, allied himself with Cleopatra VII in Tarsus.
Tarsus was enclosed by a pair of concentric defense walls . According to 17th century-Turkish traveler Evliya Çelebi, there were three gates; a mountain gate to Toros Mountains in the north, a port gate to the Mediterranean coastline in the south and the Adana Gate to the neighbouring city of Adana in the east. [1] In 1835, the walls were demolished by Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt, following the Egyptian–Ottoman War of 1831–1833. [2] Only the port gate survived up to the present time, albeit because of alluvial deposits from the rivers Berdan and Seyhan, the coastline is currently 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) south of the port gate.
Cleopatra entered Tarsus via the port gate. [3] The history of the gate after Cleopatra is not documented, but by analyzing the building stones and the cement, it is usually believed that the original gate was rebuilt during the Middle Ages, either by the Byzantine Empire or by the Abbasids. The popular name of the gate was Kancık Kapı (feminine gate) during the late Ottoman period. However, from the early 20th century, the name Cleopatra kapısı ("Cleopatra's Gate") replaced the former name.
The outer height of the gate is 8.53 metres (28.0 ft) and the inner height is 6.17 metres (20.2 ft). The length of the passage is 6.48 metres (21.3 ft) [4] The mortar used in the original gate was khorosan mortar. The gate was used on the street up to 30 years ago, when it was put under restoration, which resulted in the partial loss of its original appearance. [5]
Gate is still treated as one of the most important points of the city.[ citation needed ]
Cilicia is a geo-cultural region in southern Anatolia (Turkey), extending inland from the northeastern coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. Cilicia has a population ranging over six million, concentrated mostly at the Cilicia plain. The region includes the provinces of Mersin, Adana, Osmaniye, and Hatay.
The Taurus Mountains are a mountain complex in southern Turkey, separating the Mediterranean coastal region from the central Anatolian Plateau. The system extends along a curve from Lake Eğirdir in the west to the upper reaches of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the east. It is a part of the Alpide belt in Eurasia.
The Cilician Gates or Gülek Pass is a pass through the Taurus Mountains connecting the low plains of Cilicia to the Anatolian Plateau, by way of the narrow gorge of the Gökoluk River. Its highest elevation is about 1000m.
Tarsus is a historic city in south-central Turkey, 20 km inland from the Mediterranean. It is part of the Adana-Mersin metropolitan area, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in Turkey with a population of 3 million people. Tarsus forms an administrative district in the eastern part of the Mersin Province and lies in the core of Çukurova region.
Mersin is a large city and a port on the Mediterranean coast of southern Turkey.
Mersin Province, formerly İçel Province, is a province in southern Turkey, on the Mediterranean coast between Antalya and Adana. The provincial capital and the biggest city in the province is Mersin, which is composed of Akdeniz, Mezitli, Toroslar and Yenişehir metropolitan municipalities, followed by Tarsus, the birthplace of Paul the Apostle. The province is considered to be a part of the geographical, economical and cultural region of Çukurova, which covers the provinces of Mersin, Adana, Osmaniye and Hatay.
Çukurova or the Cilician Plain, is a large fertile plain in the Cilicia region at southern Turkey. The plain covers the easternmost areas of Mersin Province, southern and central Adana Province, western Osmaniye Province and northwestern Hatay Province.
The Adana–Mersin Main Line is a 67 km long double track rail line from the Adana Railway Station in Adana to the Mersin Railway Station in Mersin. The line passes through the city of Tarsus and has branch lines to the Port of Mersin. The line is one of the busiest rail lines in Turkey with 57 passenger trains and about 20 freight trains daily.
Yenice is a town in the Tarsus district of Mersin Province, Turkey.
Gülek is a town in Mersin Province, Turkey.
Gözlükule is a tumulus within the borders of Tarsus city, Mersin Province, Turkey. It is now a park with an altitude of 22 metres (72 ft) with respect to surrounding area.
Saint Paul's Church is a former Greek Orthodox church in Tarsus, Mersin Province, Turkey.
The Roman road in Cilicia is a part of a Roman road in Mersin Province, Turkey.
The Co-Cathedral of St. Anthony of Padua also St. Anthony Latin Catholic Church of Mersin is a church in Mersin, Turkey. Is a Co-Cathedral of the Roman Catholic Vicariate Apostolic of Anatolia.
Çukurova Regional Airport is a projected airport to be built in Tarsus district of Mersin Province, southern Turkey. It will serve the provinces Mersin and Adana as well as the rest of Çukurova Region.
Altından geçme is a gate in the city wall of Tarsus, Mersin Province, Turkey, originally part of a Roman bath.
The Casemates of Ibrahim Pasha, are a number of casemates built by Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt in 1833 to the north of Gülek Pass in southern Turkey.
Kızkalesi is a castle situated on a small island in Mersin Province of Turkey.
Baç Bridge is a bridge in Tarsus in Mersin Province, Turkey
Gülek Castle is a medieval castle in Mersin Province, Turkey.
Coordinates: 36°54′46.9″N34°53′31.4″E / 36.913028°N 34.892056°E
