Roman road in Cilicia
Encyclopedia
Roman road in Cilicia is a part of a Roman road in Mersin Province
, Turkey
to Capadocia during antiquity. The northern terminus was likely in the town of Bahçeli
, a part of the ancient city of Tyanna in Niğde Province
. The southern terminus was in Tarsus
, a major district center in Mersin Province and an important ancient city. The modern highway distance between these two locations is 148 kilometres (92 mi). But presently only a small section of the road has been unearthed. The unearthed road starts from a hill at about 37°03′N 34°54′E around Sağlıklı
village which is 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) from Tarsus, and continues about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) to the north. The average altitude of the road is 300 metres (984.3 ft) to 400 metres (1,312.3 ft). At the southern end of the unearthed section, where Tarsus is in the view, there is a gate which was either an arch gate or a border check point of Cilicia. There is also a very short road in Tarsus urban fabric called Ancient road
which has been discovered only recently. But whether the two roads are connected is unclear.
. But according to a restoration inscription next to the road it was rebuilt or repaired during the reign of Caracalla
in the 3rd century. The original gate, dated to 5th century, was destroyed at some point, and the present gate was reconstructed much later.
The outher dimensions of the cut stone gate is 8.8 m. wide x 5.2 m. high ( 28.98 ft high x 17 ft wide). The inner width is 4.11 metres (13.5 ft).
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
The road is thought to be a part of the main road connecting CiliciaCilicia
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...
to Capadocia during antiquity. The northern terminus was likely in the town of Bahçeli
Bahçeli, Niğde
- Geography :Bahçeli is a part of Bor district of Niğde Province. At it is very close to Kemerhisar, another town in Niğde Province. Distance to Kemerhisar is to Bor is and to Niğde is . The population of the town is 2325 as of 2010 - History :...
, a part of the ancient city of Tyanna in Niğde Province
Nigde Province
Niğde Province is a small rural province in the southern part of Central Anatolia, Turkey. Population is 337.931 of which 100.418 live in the city of Niğde. The population was 348,081 in 2000 and 305.861 in 1990. It covers an area of 7,312 km²...
. The southern terminus was in Tarsus
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...
, a major district center in Mersin Province and an important ancient city. The modern highway distance between these two locations is 148 kilometres (92 mi). But presently only a small section of the road has been unearthed. The unearthed road starts from a hill at about 37°03′N 34°54′E around Sağlıklı
Sağlıklı
Sağlılı is a village in Tarsus district of Mersin Province, Turkey. At it is to Tarsus and to Mersin. Sağlıklı is famed for the Roman road starting point of which is near the village. The population of village is 1474 as of 2010....
village which is 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) from Tarsus, and continues about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) to the north. The average altitude of the road is 300 metres (984.3 ft) to 400 metres (1,312.3 ft). At the southern end of the unearthed section, where Tarsus is in the view, there is a gate which was either an arch gate or a border check point of Cilicia. There is also a very short road in Tarsus urban fabric called Ancient road
Ancient road in Tarsus
Ancient road at is the unearthed section of an ancient road in the historical city of Tarsus, Turkey.Tarsus an ancient city known as the birth place of Paul the Apostle, is now a major district center in Mersin Province, Turkey. The road was accidentally unearthed in a construction pit in 1993...
which has been discovered only recently. But whether the two roads are connected is unclear.
History
The road is thought to have been constructed in the 1st century AD by the Roman EmpireRoman 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....
. But according to a restoration inscription next to the road it was rebuilt or repaired during the reign of Caracalla
Caracalla
Caracalla , was Roman emperor from 198 to 217. The eldest son of Septimius Severus, he ruled jointly with his younger brother Geta until he murdered the latter in 211...
in the 3rd century. The original gate, dated to 5th century, was destroyed at some point, and the present gate was reconstructed much later.
Technical details
The road is stone pavement and there are stone parapets on each side of the road. The width of the road excluding the parapet is about 3 metres (9.8 ft).The outher dimensions of the cut stone gate is 8.8 m. wide x 5.2 m. high ( 28.98 ft high x 17 ft wide). The inner width is 4.11 metres (13.5 ft).