Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Tarsus (Turkey). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Eshab-ı Kehf Cave, Cilicia, and Donuktaş. Also, be sure to include Saint Paul's Church in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Tarsus (Mersin).
Table of Contents
Eshab-ı Kehf Cave
Eshab-ı Kehf Cave, also known as Ashab-ı Kehf Cave or Seven Sleepers' Cave, is a show cave situated to the north of Tarsus, an ilçe in Mersin Province, Turkey. The cave is named after the Persian word اصحاب کهف itself from the Arabic "aṣḥāb al kahf", "people of the cave", for Seven Sleepers of Ephesus, a belief in Christian and Islamic tradition.
The cave is about 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) to Tarsus and about 40 kilometres (25 mi) to Mersin. It is at the foothill of a small hill. The cave is small, not comparable to other caves of the province. However, it is a famed to be the cave of the Seven Sleepers. The exact location of the Seven Sleepers' cave is not known, and there are many other places including some in Turkey claiming to be the cave of the Seven Sleepers. Next to the cave, there is a mosque commissioned by the Ottoman sultan Abdülaziz (reigned 1861–1876), and built in 1873. The mosque's tall minaret with three şerefes (balconies) were added later.
The other probable locations of the Seven Sleepers in Turkey are:
- Ephesus in İzmir Province
- Lice in Diyarbakır Province
- Afşin in Kahramanmaraş Province (see Eshab-ı Kehf Kulliye)
Address: Dedeler Köyü, 33400 Tarsus
Cilicia
Also known as: Kilikya
Region. Cilicia is a geo-cultural region in southern Anatolia, 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.[2]
Donuktaş
Donuktaş is a Roman temple in Tarsus ilçe of Mersin Province, southern Turkey.[3]
Saint Paul's Church
Also known as: St. Paul Kilisesi
Greek orthodox church in Tarsus, Turkey. Saint Paul's Church is a former Greek Orthodox church in Tarsus, Mersin Province, Turkey.[4]
Address: Cumhuriyet Mah. Abdi Ipekci Cad. No:14, Tarsus
Bilal-i Habeşi Masjid
Bilal-i Habeşi Masjid is a historical small mosque in Tarsus, Mersin Province, Turkey.
The masjid is located in Tarsus ilçe (district) of Mersin Province between Grand Mosque of Tarsus and Saint Paul's Church, Tarsus.[5]
Mausoleum of Danyal
The Mousoleum of Danyal is a small complex in Tarsus, Turkey, consisting of a mosque and a tomb, which is believed to be that of the biblical figure Daniel. Two arches of a Roman bridge were found in the basement of the mosque-tomb complex during a renovation project.[6]
Tarsus Museum
Museum in Tarsus, Turkey. Tarsus Museum is an archaeology and ethnography museum in Tarsus, Mersin Province, in southern Turkey.
The present location of the museum is in the city's cultural complex known as "75th Anniversary Culture Complex". The complex is in a neighborhood, which is rich in historical buildings like the Tarsus Grand Mosque and St. Paul's Church.[7]
Address: Ismet Pasa Mah. Muvaffak Uygur Cad. 75., Tarsus
Tarsus Old Mosque
Mosque. Tarsus Old Mosque is a mosque converted from a historic church located in Tarsus ilçe of Mersin Province, southern Turkey.[8]
Tarsus Waterfall
Also known as: Tarsus Şelalesi
Waterfall. Tarsus Waterfall is located on the northern outskirts of the city of Tarsus, not far from the motorway O-51, in southern Turkey.
Since the construction of the Berdan Dam, the water of the Tarsus River has been distributed in canals for irrigation, with the result that the waterfall can now be seen only in seasons of very heavy rainfall.[9]
Grand Mosque of Tarsus
Mosque in Tarsus, Turkey. Tarsus Grand Mosque is a mosque in Tarsus, Mersin Province, Turkey.[10]
Kırkkaşık Bedesten
Tourist attraction in Tarsus, Turkey. Kırkkaşık Bedesten is a bedesten 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 because they mistook the lotuses for spoons.[11]