It is located on the banks of the river Tarsus in the level region of Cilicia, south os Anatolia. In the Etruscan/Luwian language the name of the city is "Tarsassa", meaning "Castle on the Banks of the River." In fact, the first settlement in the area was built to the west of the river Tarsus, in the area today called 7 Uyurlar, on site of the Mound Gozlu Kule located on the west side which is a littlehigh up the river. The name of the anciend city located in the level Cilicia, also known as Que, subsequently became Tarsos. The artifacts belonging to the prehistorical times uncovered as aresult of the archeological excavations carried out here provide testimony to this thesis. The city had an important commercial location during the Hittite era was sacked by the Assyrians, rivals of the Hittites, in 1255. The area which subsequently fell under the hegemonies of Persians, Macedonians, Romans and Byzantines became the capital of Cilicia and an important center of science, philosophy and culture. Marcus Antonius who came to Tarsus in 44 B.C. had his romantic encounter with his legendary love Cleopatra in Tarsus and the Cleopatra\'s Gate was built at the entrance of the city in memory of this. During the Byzantine era Tarsus became the seat og bishopric because of the religious importance of the Cave of 7 Uyurlar as well as because of its begin the capital city. In 637 it was occupied by Ommiades and in 1097 by the Crusaders. Subsequently, it was taken over by Ramazanoglu, Dulkadiroglu and Memluk Turks who came to the area.
The foremost works of art in the city today are the three-arched Cleopatra\'s Gate, Roman Bridge and the Churc of St. Paulus, the house where St. Paulus was born, and the Sacred Water Well. İn the Museum of Tarsus the finds as uncovered in the area exhibited. Located 52 km to the north of Tarsus, at an altitude of 1050 m, is the famed Cilician Pass/Gulek Pass which connects the Central Anatolia to Cukurova.
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