Aphrodisias of Cilicia
Encyclopedia
Aphrodisias of Cilicia is the name given to the ruins of an ancient port city in Mersin Province
, Turkey
.
near the town of Yeşilovacık
in the rural area of Silifke
district which itself is a part of Mersin Province. The ancient name of this region was Cilicia Trachea ("rugged Cilicia") So it is customary to call the ruins Aphrodisias of Cilicia to distinguish it from the better known Aphrodisias
in Aydin Province
. The ruins are at the east side of the cape facing Dana Island
and Güvercinlik Island. The coordinates of the ruins are 36°09′29"N 33°41′30"E The highway distance to is Silifke 50 kilometres (31.1 mi) and to Mersin
is 133 kilometres (82.6 mi).
in the forth century BC. The settlement was incorporated into Roman Empire
and in the marine book Ps.Skylax written in 101 AD, the settlement was named Cap Aphrodisias . During the early Middle ages when the port was a part of Byzantine Empire
, it was named Porto Cavaliere. Then it faded away. The location of the long forgotten ruins was discovered by Austrian Archaeologist Rudolf Heberdey in 1891.
) . In 1987, Ludwig Budde from Germany published his book St.Pantaleon von Aphrodisias in Kılikien about the church. But most of the mosaics are not unearthed yet.
Mersin Province
The Mersin Province is a province in southern Turkey, on the Mediterranean coast between Antalya and Adana. The provincial capital is the city of Mersin and the other major town is Tarsus, birthplace of St Paul...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
Geography
Aphrodisias is situated on Cape TisanCape Tisan
Cape Tisan is a headland on the Mediterranean sea coast of Mersin Province, Turkey.- Geography :The cape is near to Yeşilovacık town in Silifke district of Mersin Province...
near the town of Yeşilovacık
Yeşilovacık
Yeşilovacık is a town in Mersin Province, Turkey.-Geography:Yeşilovacık is a Mediterranean coastal town at .It is a part of Silifke district which in turn is a part of Mersin Province. The town is...
in the rural area of Silifke
Silifke
-Antiquity:Located a few miles from the mouth of the Calycadnus River, Seleucia was founded by Seleucus I Nicator in the early 3rd century BCE, one of several cities he named after himself. It is probable that there were already towns called Olbia and Hyria and that Seleucus I merely united them...
district which itself is a part of Mersin Province. The ancient name of this region was Cilicia Trachea ("rugged Cilicia") So it is customary to call the ruins Aphrodisias of Cilicia to distinguish it from the better known Aphrodisias
Aphrodisias
Aphrodisias was a small city in Caria, on the southwest coast of Asia Minor. Its site is located near the modern village of Geyre, Turkey, about 230 km from İzmir....
in Aydin Province
Aydin Province
Aydın Province is a province of southwestern Turkey, located in the Aegean Region. The provincial capital is the city of Aydın which has a population of approx. 150,000 . Other towns in the province include the summer seaside resorts of Didim and Kuşadası.-History:Aydın was founded by the ancient...
. The ruins are at the east side of the cape facing Dana Island
Dana Adası
Dana Adası is a small Mediterranean island of Turkey.- Geography :Dana Adası lies parallel to south coast of Turkey at in the province of Mersin. The distance from the shore is 2.5 km...
and Güvercinlik Island. The coordinates of the ruins are 36°09′29"N 33°41′30"E The highway distance to is Silifke 50 kilometres (31.1 mi) and to Mersin
Mersin
-Mersin today:Today, Mersin is a large city spreading out along the coast, with Turkey's second tallest skyscraper , huge hotels, an opera house, expensive real estate near the sea or up in the hills, and many other modern urban...
is 133 kilometres (82.6 mi).
History
The foundation date of the ancient settlement is unknown. But it was a port of Ptolemaic EgyptPtolemaic Egypt
Ptolemaic Egypt began when Ptolemy I Soter invaded Egypt and declared himself Pharaoh of Egypt in 305 BC and ended with the death of queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt and the Roman conquest in 30 BC. The Ptolemaic Kingdom was a powerful Hellenistic state, extending from southern Syria in the east, to...
in the forth century BC. The settlement was incorporated into Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
and in the marine book Ps.Skylax written in 101 AD, the settlement was named Cap Aphrodisias . During the early Middle ages when the port was a part of Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
, it was named Porto Cavaliere. Then it faded away. The location of the long forgotten ruins was discovered by Austrian Archaeologist Rudolf Heberdey in 1891.
The ruins
There are ruins of a necropol, a cistern, city walls and floor mosaics of a 4th century church named St.Panteleon (The church was a temple prior to ChristianityChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
) . In 1987, Ludwig Budde from Germany published his book St.Pantaleon von Aphrodisias in Kılikien about the church. But most of the mosaics are not unearthed yet.