Cleopatra's Gate
Encyclopedia
Cleoptra's Gate is a city gate of Tarsus
, in Mersin Province
, Turkey
, named after the Egyptian queen Cleopatra VII.
in Antiquity (modern south-central Turkey), was an important city during both the ancient and the medieval eras. It was the capital of Roman
province of Cilicia
. In 41 BC, Mark Antony
during his struggle against Octavian, allied himself with Cleopatra VII in Tarsus.
Tarsus was enclosed by a pair of concentric defense walls . According to 17th century-Turkish traveler Evliya Çelebi
, there were three gates; a mountain gate to Toros Mountains
in the north, a port gate to the Mediterranean
coastline in the south and the Adana Gate to the neighbouring city of Adana
in the east. In 1835, the walls were demolished by Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt
, following the Egyptian–Ottoman War of 1831–1833
. Only the port gate (36°55′20"N 34°52′03"E) survived up to the present time, albeit because of alluvial deposits from the rivers Berdan
and Seyhan
, the coastline is currently 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) south of the port gate.
, either by the Byzantine Empire
or by the Abbasids. The popular name of the gate was Kancık Kapı (feminine gate) during the late Ottoman
period. However from the early 20th century, the name Cleopatra kapısı ("Cleopatra's Gate") replaced the former name.
The outer height of the gate is 8.53 metres (28 ft) and the inner height is 6.17 metres (20.2 ft). The length of the passage is 6.48 metres (21.3 ft) The mortar used in the original gate was Khorasan
mortar. The gate was used on the street up to 30 years ago, when it was put under restoration, which resulted in the partial loss of its original appearance.
Tarsus, Mersin
Tarsus is a historic city in south-central Turkey, 20 km inland from the Mediterranean Sea. It is part of the Adana-Mersin Metropolitan Area, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in Turkey with a population of 2.75 million...
, in Mersin Province
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...
, named after the Egyptian queen Cleopatra VII.
History of Tarsus and its walls
Tarsus, located in the region known as Cilicia PediasCilicia
In antiquity, Cilicia was the south coastal region of Asia Minor, south of the central Anatolian plateau. It existed as a political entity from Hittite times into the Byzantine empire...
in Antiquity (modern south-central Turkey), was an important city during both the ancient and the medieval eras. It was the capital of Roman
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....
province of Cilicia
Cilicia (Roman province)
Cilicia was the name of a province of the Roman Empire.- See also :* Cilicia — Roman Cilicia...
. In 41 BC, Mark Antony
Mark Antony
Marcus Antonius , known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general. As a military commander and administrator, he was an important supporter and loyal friend of his mother's cousin Julius Caesar...
during his struggle against Octavian, allied himself with Cleopatra VII in Tarsus.
Tarsus was enclosed by a pair of concentric defense walls . According to 17th century-Turkish traveler Evliya Çelebi
Evliya Çelebi
Evliya Çelebi was an Ottoman traveler who journeyed through the territory of the Ottoman Empire and neighboring lands over a period of forty years.- Life :...
, there were three gates; a mountain gate to Toros Mountains
Taurus Mountains
Taurus Mountains are a mountain complex in southern Turkey, dividing the Mediterranean coastal region of southern Turkey from the central Anatolian Plateau. The system extends along a curve from Lake Eğirdir in the west to the upper reaches of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the east...
in the north, a port gate to the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
coastline in the south and the Adana Gate to the neighbouring city of Adana
Adana
Adana is a city in southern Turkey and a major agricultural and commercial center. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, 30 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean, in south-central Anatolia...
in the east. In 1835, the walls were demolished by Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt
Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt
Ibrahim Pasha was the eldest son of Muhammad Ali, the Wāli and unrecognised Khedive of Egypt and Sudan. He served as a general in the Egyptian army that his father established during his reign, taking his first command of Egyptian forces was when he was merely a teenager...
, following the Egyptian–Ottoman War of 1831–1833
Egyptian–Ottoman War (1831–1833)
The First Egyptian-Ottoman War, First Turco-Egyptian War or First Syrian War was brought about by Muhammad Ali Pasha's demand to the Ottoman Empire for control of Arab Greater Syria, as reward for his assistance in Crete against Greece...
. Only the port gate (36°55′20"N 34°52′03"E) survived up to the present time, albeit because of alluvial deposits from the rivers Berdan
Berdan River
The Berdan River, also called the Tarsus River , is a river in Mersin Province, south Turkey. The historical city of Tarsus is by the river.- Geography :...
and Seyhan
Seyhan River
The Seyhan River is the longest river in Turkey that is flowing into Mediterranean Sea. The river is 560 km and flows southwest from its headwaters in the Tahtalı-Mountains in Anti-Taurus Mountains to the Mediterranean Sea via a broad delta...
, the coastline is currently 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) south of the port gate.
Cleopatra's Gate
Cleopatra entered Tarsus via the port gate. The history of the gate after Cleopatra is not documented, but by analyzing the building stones and the cement, it is usually believed that the original gate was rebuilt during the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, either by the 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...
or by the Abbasids. The popular name of the gate was Kancık Kapı (feminine gate) during the late Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
period. However from the early 20th century, the name Cleopatra kapısı ("Cleopatra's Gate") replaced the former name.
The outer height of the gate is 8.53 metres (28 ft) and the inner height is 6.17 metres (20.2 ft). The length of the passage is 6.48 metres (21.3 ft) The mortar used in the original gate was Khorasan
Greater Khorasan
Greater Khorasan or Ancient Khorasan is a historical region of Greater Iran mentioned in sources from Sassanid and Islamic eras which "frequently" had a denotation wider than current three provinces of Khorasan in Iran...
mortar. The gate was used on the street up to 30 years ago, when it was put under restoration, which resulted in the partial loss of its original appearance.