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Once upon a time there was a country called Anatolia. On the south part of this country  by the Mediterranean sea there was a prosperious trade center, Tarsus. It was an important point of intersection between the land and sea routes making it a significant place of commerce.

One day Cleopatra (Eygption ruler) who is celebrated for her beauty and love affairs became ally with Mark Anthony (the commander of the Roman army) and soon they fell in love with each other. After Anthony met with Cleopatra at Tarsus, Cleoparta became pregnant and she gave birth to twins, Alexander Helios (sun) and Cleopatra Selene (moon).

Tarsus sits on a major trade route which increased its prosperity over its 2000 years of known historical contribution.At one point it was the accepted capital of Cilicia in the Roman Empire and held fame for being the meeting place of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra as well as being the birthplace of Paul the Apostle.

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According to the Bible, Paul the Apostle, who was a follower of Jesus Christ Was also born in Tarsus.

In Christian tradition, he is known as Paul of Tarsus, as this is where Luke says he was born (Acts 9:11). At the time, Tarsus was located in the province of Cilicia, the ancient city located about 20 miles inland Anatolia now modern Turkey.

The tombs of Daniel of the Bible, and the caliph Al-Ma'mun (786-833), are both in Tarsus. Saint Paul was a resident of Tarsus. He was born and lived in Tarsus as a Jew named Saul and after converting, made a number of missionary journeys during which he was arrested and beheaded by emperor Nero of Roman Empire in AD 64 or 67 on the 29th of June.After Saint Paul's death, Tarsus continued as an important city of the area. It became a part of the Byzantine Empire, the Abbasid Empire, the Seljuk Empire, the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, the Ramadanids and the Ottoman Empire.

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This is the Cleopatra’s gate. The gate where Cleopatra and Anthony met. Now it stoods at the center of Tarsus. You can visit, take photo without any payment.

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In todays  Turkey, Tarsus is the most important district of  the city Mersin. It is a mystic and historical place with its tales and buildings.           Let’s have a look at it.

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These are the historical Tarsus houses. They are the most favorite deastinations for the tourisrs. Tarsus has many unique historical and characteristic buildings.

There are 300 old mansions in Tarsus that were licensed architectures and also  further 600 of them were non-licensed.

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One of the most tradetional meals in Tarsus is Tantuni . This is a very delicious and traditional meal in Tarsus. It is made in a large pan with meat. And the other traditional food is şalgam. It is the red drink in the picture. It is hot and salty.

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     Kırkkaşık Bedesten is a bedesten (covered market) in Tarsus, Turkey. There are figures of lotus carved on the pediment of the bedesten. In the Medieval Age, the people named the bedesten Kırkkaşık (forty spoons) because they mistook the lotuses for spoons.The construction material of the 600 square metres (6,500 sq ft) rectangular plan bedesten is cut stone. The roof is made of five domes. There are 18 rooms all of which are used as shops in the bedesten.

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     Kırkkaşık Bedesten is a bedesten (covered market) in Tarsus, Turkey. There are figures of lotus carved on the pediment of the bedesten. In the Medieval Age, the people named the bedesten Kırkkaşık (forty spoons) because they mistook the lotuses for spoons.The construction material of the 600 square metres (6,500 sq ft) rectangular plan bedesten is cut stone. The roof is made of five domes. There are 18 rooms all of which are used as shops in the bedesten.

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Tarsus Waterfall is located on the northern outskirts of the city of Tarsus, not far from the motorway , in southern Turkey. Berdan river water in this part of the river constitute a waterfall pouring from a height of 4-5 meters. In Roman times the area where the waterfall is located necropolis (cemetery) is used.

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The history of the Grand Mosque (tr. Ulu Cami) is a perfect illustration of the turbulent history of the town, where numerous cultures and religions influenced each other, sometimes in an unexpected way.

The Grand Mosque was built in 1579, in the times when Tarsus was already a part of the Ottoman Empire.

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The Church Mosque (Kilise Cami, or Baytimur Camii) in the city center was built as a church about 300 AD, perhaps dedicated to St Paul.

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St. Paul's Well is in a courtyard long believed to be the site of St. Paul's house, which is approximately 300 meters north of the Republic Area in Kızılmurat District. Archaeological studies have shown St. Paul's Well and surrounding areas to have Roman, Byzantium and Ottoman Period cultural layers. The site is a pilgrimage destination for some and the water from the well is believed to have healing powers.