Eastern Mediterranean Coast

Mark Antony gave the lovely Cilician shores, the land between Alanya and the Syrian Border to Cleopatra, as a wedding present. Also associated with the region's past is St.Paul, a native of Tarsus.

The road from Mersin to Silifke closely follows the coast, passing by pine forests and orange groves. On one side lie the ruins of cities, basilicas and tombs, on the other a series of small secluded coves with sandy beaches. 

13km west of Mersin, a row of Corinthian columns that once lined the main street, remain at Viransehir (ancient Pompeiopolis), founded in 700BC by Rhodians. At Kanlidivane are the ruins of ancient Kanytelis, with tombs resembling small temples, churches and sarcophagi dating from Roman and Byzantine times. The city itself and the ruins are all on the sides of a deep chasm.

Kiz Kalesi 

A very interesting place to base yourself for a week. Although there are only basic 3 star hotels here, the surroundings more than make up for the lack of great comfort. The hotels are built along a sandy beach opposite the romantic Kiz Kalesi (Maiden's Castle) which, according to local legend, was built on an island by a king who wished to protect his only daughter, after having a vision that she would die from a snakebite. One of her admirers sent her a basket of fruit in which a snake was lurking, however, and so she was bitten and died. There is an identical castle on the mainland opposite; the two were originally joined by a sea-wall. Historically these castles were built by the Byzantines in the 7th century, and used by Armenian kings and Crusader knights in the 12th century. Spend time wandering around the Castle of Kolykos, right on the sea-front then visit the fascinating Necropolis in the corn fields opposite. 

Other sites of interest to visit in this area are: 

• one of the best collections of Roman mosaics in the world, housed in the Antakya Museum

• the open-air pro-Hittite museum in a beautiful setting at Karatepe

• the ancient city of Tarsus where St. Paul was born and where Antony met Cleopatra

• the Caves of Heaven and Hell, with the ruins of a 5th century Byzantine chapel at the bottom of the Cave of Heaven

• the tiny museum of Narlikuyu, which has an attractive mosaic of the Three Graces - Aglaia, Thalia and Euphrosyne (4th century AD). 

• the impressive ruins of Uzuncaburc (Diocaesarea) with ruins dating back to the 3rd century B.C. A very interesting mixture of Corinthian, Roman, Byzantine and Hellenistic architecture.

• the mediaeval castle of Anamur, the largest and best preserved on the southern coast of Turkey, with all its walls and 36 towers still intact, situated right on the water's edge.

• ancient Anamurium, a Byzantine city deserted in the 7th century when the Arab armies stormed and pillaged the area. Today it is an authentic Byzantine ghost town, with houses, churches, aqueducts, baths, a necropolis, and the city walls still standing largely intact.

Please refer to our tours page for tours taking in this region.