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Silver coin of satrap (governor), minted in Tarsus, dated c. Obv: The God Baaltars seated. Rev: Datames wearing Persian dress, inspecting arrow held in hands. Winged solar disk to the upper right.In historical times, the city was first ruled by the, followed by, and then the. Tarsus, as the principal town of, was the seat of a Persian from 400 BC onward.
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Bible, notes that Tarshish is a descendant of Japheth (Greek Iapetos/Japetus) and Javan (Hebrew Iawan), associated with the Greek Ionia, a province in modern western Turkey.
Indeed, records that in 401 BC, when marched against, the city was governed by King in the name of the Persian monarch.At this period the patron god of the city was Sandon, of whom a large monument existed at Tarsus at least until the 3rd century AD. Coins showed Sandon standing on a winged and horned lion, and it is now thought likely that the on the pillar in the in was in origin a winged lion-griffin from such a monument at Tarsus.passed through with his armies in 333 BC and nearly met his death here after a bath in the Cydnus.
By this time Tarsus was already largely influenced by, and as part of the it became more and more. Strabo praises the cultural level of Tarsus in this period with its philosophers, poets and linguists. The schools of Tarsus rivaled those of. (4:30) records its revolt in about 171 BC against, who had renamed the town Antiochia on the Cydnus. The name did not last, however, due to the confusion of so many cities named Antioch. At this time the library of Tarsus held 200,000 books, including a huge collection of scientific works.Roman period.
Ancient Roman road in TarsusIn 67 BC, after crushing the, subjected Tarsus to, and it became capital of the. To flatter, for a time it took the name Juliopolis. It was also here that and met and was the scene of the celebrated feasts they gave during the construction of their fleet (41 BC).
In 's 1606 play (Act 5, Scene 2), after Antony's death Cleopatra says she is going to Cydnus to meet Antony, i.e., she will commit suicide to meet him in the afterlife; ' Go fetch / My best attires: I am again for Cydnus, / To meet Mark Antony'. In TarsusIn the Roman period, the city was also an important intellectual centre, boasting its own academy. One of its leading disciples, the philosopher, was the tutor of the first Roman emperor, a fact which secured continuous imperial patronage for the city.When the province of Cilicia was divided, Tarsus remained the civil and religious metropolis of Cilicia Prima, and was a grand city with palaces, marketplaces, roads and bridges, baths, fountains and waterworks, a gymnasium on the banks of the, and a stadium.
Tarsus was later eclipsed by nearby, but remained important as a port and shipyard. Several Roman emperors were interred here:, and, who planned to move his capital here from Antioch if he returned from his Persian expedition. Christianity and Byzantine era. Church of in Tarsus (the church and the surroundings are on the tentative list)Tarsus was the city where, according to the, 'Saul of Tarsus' was born, but he was 'brought up' ( ) in Jerusalem. Paul was a Roman citizen (Acts 21:39; Acts 22: 25-29) 'from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city'. Saul became after his encounter with Christ ( ), and he returned here after his conversion.
After about eight years, retrieved him from Tarsus to help with the work in.Already by this time a community probably existed, although the first recorded bishop, dates only from the 3rd century. Owing to the importance of Tarsus, many martyrs were put to death there, among them Saint,.The city remained largely pagan, however, up to the time of (r. 361–363), who reportedly planned to make it his capital. Following his against, he was buried next to the city walls, opposite the earlier tomb of the Maximinus Daia. 527–565) undertook public works in the city, altering the course of the Cydnus river and rebuilding the bridge. Towards the end of his reign, the city suffered from riots of the Blues hippodrome faction.A cave in Tarsus is one of a number of places said to be the location of the legend of the, common to Christianity and Islam.Bishopric.
Tarsus City StadiumTarsus has two football statiums, and Burhanettin Kocamaz Stadium, and an arena, Tarsus Arena. Local football club is.Main sights Tarsus is home to numerous ancient sites, with many in need of restoration and research.
These have been well described by travellers over many years. For instance (Edinburgh) in 1890,and 's In the Steps of St Paul in 1936.The best known include:.
– to the west of the city, the only ancient city gate still standing, where Antony and Cleopatra entered the city in 41 BC, though the 'restoration' of this structure has involved covering much of it over with shiny new stone (see for a picture of the gate before the work was done). The of over the. It is still in good condition. Tarsus Museum, containing lots of ancient coins and a severed mummified arm.
north of Tarsus. another Roman road within Tarsus., a Medieval castle ruin.Sites of religious interest and pilgrimage include:. The and well (it is now a museum, but occasionally Christian services can be performed there). The mosque said to be the burial place of the. The ancient story of, the winged horse, also concerns Tarsus. Because of Pegasus' faithful service to, Pegasus was honored with a constellation. (Mnara).
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