Near Eastern Institute

Ancient Tarsus

The ancient city of Tarsus is in what is now the Mersin Province of Turkey, near the cities of Mersin and Adana.  Tarsus has been an important trade center for over 9,000 years.  Under the Roman Empire, Tarsus was the capital city for the province of Cilicia.  This city was also the meeting place of Mark Antony and Cleopatra.  The Apostle Paul was born in Tarsus as Saul and later returned there for a time after his conversion to Christianity as Paul (Acts 13:9).  Tarsus is also known as the city where Paul and Barnabas departed on their missionary tour.

Tarsus is located about 10 miles from the Mediterranean coast and is central to land and sea commerce routes connecting Cukurova (formerly Cilicia) andAnatolia.  Tarsus is a market center where produce and goods are sold and distributed.  Local produce includes a variety of fruits and vegetables.  Manufacturing includes agricultural machinery, textiles, bricks and ceramics.

More than half of the land area in the region is agricultural land.  Other land is comprised of forests and orchards.  Modern farming methods and equipment have greatly increased the production ability of the land.  During the reign of the Hittites, Tarsus was known as Tarsa (about 1850-1200 B.C.).

During the first century BC, Tarsus was the home of a philosophical school.  As a university town, the atmosphere was colored by Greek thought.  The wisdom of the Greeks and the world-order of Rome mingled with Oriental mysticism to bring a unique feel to the culture.  Young Saul would have had a unique opportunity to be exposed to a wide variety of cultural and religious thought, and he would have been among a minority as a Jew and a Roman Citizen.  Today, the modern city of Tarsus is built atop the ancient city and archeologists have hardly touched the ancient ruins.

The Hittites were the first to govern over Tarsus and the region of Cilicia.  Later, rule shifted from the Hittites to the Assyrians to the Persian Empireand eventually the Roman Empire.  Historians indicate that the universities at Tarsus rivaled those at Athens and Alexandria.  By 171 B.C. the library of Tarsus contained 200,000 books and a collection of scientific works.  The residents of Tarsus were known to be fervent students, always willing to learn, discuss and debate.

Under Roman rule, Tarsus was a grand city with palaces, markets, roads, bridges, baths, a stadium and a gymnasium.  The nearby town of Adana later grew to overshadow Tarsus in matters of commerce, and the two cities were often considered one city.  Several Roman Emperors are buried at Tarsus, including Marcus Claudius Tacitus, Maximinus, and Julian the Apostate.

During the Middle Ages, Tarsus was praised by Arab writers for its beauty and security, having a well-defended city.  The surrounding farmland was described as rich and well-watered.

Today, Tarsus still has a small-town feel and fine regional cuisine is readily available.  Local sites of interest include the Well and Church of Saint Paul, the reported burial place of the Prophet Daniel, Tarsus American College and much more.