Kilikia: Kelenderis

•impressive collection of coins

•This glorious city managed to maintain its independence for a long time. It lived through a glorious period between the 5th and 4th centuries BC in spite of Persian sovereignty. It lived through its second golden period during the roman times. It functioned during medieval times. It began to lose its position from the 19th cent. when the port of Mersin increased in importance.

•The coins and ceramics are very important. Bowls with black firnis (a transparent surface coating which is applied as a liquid and then changes to a hard solid) and lekythoses  from Attica are among the most important findings. Amphorae from many places. Very few buildings have survived.

•The bath at the entrance of the port has survived with a mosaic from 5th cent. AD.

•Theatre is completely buried but surface investigations and exploratory wells have been undertaken.

•The Kelenderis Mosaic :  probably the oldest city plan. In the mosaic, buildings that might be a shipyard are visible. Excavations of a possible shipyard have come up.

•Mosaic very well preserved - 5th cent. Not all of it has been found.

•The mosaic is unique for the image it depicts (found in 1989)

•The 12 m mosaic illustrates a city panorama of Kelenderis and a harbor in which 2 boats are located as well as a roman bath, warehouses and other structures.

•Inspired from pictures on the mosaic we found a peninsula, ruins of harbor and an arched structure. We are trying to reveal other ruins in the ancient site by examining the mosaic

•The site has traces of settlement from 5,000 years ago and the harbor portrays the oldest harbor in Anatolia.

•Kelenderis took part in the military actions arranged by the Romans against the pirates and enjoyed its second high period when the Romans achieved the security of the Mediterranean marine trade routes.

•The theatre belongs to the roman era. Rock graves, vaulted graves and pyramid-roofed monumental graves spanning from 6th cent. BC to the 4th cent.

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•Kelenderis : famous for some of the earliest and finest specimens of the numismatic art. Silver tetradrachms called Kelenderities

Selefkia

•Founded by Seleucus I Nicator (one of Alexander,s generals) in the 3rd cent. BC has a Byzantine fortress on the hilltop, an ancient stone cistern below the fortress (Tekir Ambari), The Great mosque (Ulu Cami), Seljuk, & Resadiye Mosque Ottoman using columns recycled from the Temple of Jupiter

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•About 5 km from the bus station (otogar0 off the road to Tasucu, is the cave of St. Thecla (Ayatekla). A young lady from Iconium, Thecla overheard St. Paul preach. The Byzantines built a splendid church above the cave where she allegedly sought shelter from her persecutors. The church is now in ruins but the cave beneath is a place of pilgrimage for Christians.

St. Thecla's church