Mersin Historical Places: From Kızkalesi to Tarsus

On Turkey's eastern Mediterranean coast, Mersin sits at the heart of ancient Cilicia, layered with Roman, Byzantine and Seljuk history. This guide covers the province's most important historical sites: the offshore Maiden's Castle at Kızkalesi, the streets of Tarsus where the Apostle Paul was born, the colonnaded street of Soli-Pompeiopolis, and the dramatic Heaven-Hell sinkholes near Silifke. Read on for what to see, how to get there, and when to plan your visit.

Where Is Kızkalesi and How Do You Visit the Maiden's Castle?

Kızkalesi is a medieval castle built on a small islet just off the coast in the Erdemli district of Mersin province. Known in antiquity as Corycus, the site passed through Seleucid, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, Armenian, Karamanid and Ottoman hands, and together with its land-based twin castle on the shore, it once guarded a busy stretch of Mediterranean sea trade.

The island fortress and the shore castle formed a paired defensive system separated by a narrow channel; today small boats ferry visitors out to the island. In 1482, Ottoman prince Cem Sultan set sail from this coast after losing a succession struggle, seeking refuge first with the Knights of St John on Rhodes; his exile only reached Rome years later, in 1489. The area later became a winter camp for nomadic Turkmen tribes, and its beach hosted beach volleyball at the 2013 Mediterranean Games held in Mersin.

Reaching Kızkalesi is straightforward from Mersin: drive to Erdemli and follow the coast road to the shoreline castle, which you can explore on foot, then take one of the small boats out to the island. Seaside fish restaurants along the shore make a good stop before or after the visit, and the castle silhouette is especially popular at sunset.

What Historical Sites Should You See in Tarsus?

The main historical sites in Tarsus are Cleopatra's Gate, St Paul's Well and Church, and the Tarsus Waterfall near the city centre. Cleopatra's Gate is the only ancient city gate still standing and is traditionally linked to the 41 BC meeting between Cleopatra and Mark Antony, while St Paul's Well marks the traditional birthplace of the Apostle Paul.

St Paul's Church, now open as a museum and occasionally used for services, sits on the UN World Heritage tentative list. The nearby Tarsus Waterfall offers a scenic break within the city's historic fabric, and the old stone bridges and mill buildings around it bear witness to a settlement history spanning more than six thousand years.

Tarsus works well as a day trip from central Mersin: start at Cleopatra's Gate, walk the narrow stone streets to St Paul's Well, and finish at the waterfall and its surrounding historic bazaar. The short distances between sites mean the whole route can be covered on foot or with short taxi transfers.

The Colonnaded Street of Soli-Pompeiopolis

Soli-Pompeiopolis is an ancient port city west of central Mersin. In 67 BC the Roman general Pompey resettled surrendered pirates here and renamed the city Pompeiopolis; its best-known feature is the colonnaded street, where close to forty columns have been re-erected running toward the sea.

Under Roman administration the harbour was reinforced with concrete technology, and walls, a theatre and baths were added; the harbour was renovated again around 130 CE under Emperor Antoninus Pius. The city became a bishopric around 300 CE, but a major earthquake in 525 CE devastated it, leading to its eventual abandonment.

Today the site, locally also known as Viranşehir ("ruined city"), can be visited free of charge at any hour; walking the colonnaded street lets you take in both the traces of the ancient harbour and the sea view, and the flat ground makes it accessible for visitors of all ages.

The Cennet-Cehennem Sinkholes and Kanlıdivane

Cennet-Cehennem ("Heaven and Hell") are two large sinkholes formed by limestone dissolution near Narlıkuyu, in Mersin's Silifke district. Stone steps descend into the Cennet (Heaven) chasm, while the Cehennem (Hell) sinkhole can only be viewed from above for safety reasons; the site carries strong local legends tied to its evocative name.

Nearby Kanlıdivane, called Kanytelis in antiquity and Neapolis under the Byzantines, is another sinkhole settlement; the pit, roughly 130 metres long and 70 metres deep, is ringed by rock-cut tombs, church ruins and a monumental tomb that Queen Aba had built for her husband and two sons. Today the dramatic rim hosts open-air concerts during the Mersin International Music Festival.

The nearby fourth-century mosaic-floored bath ruin at Narlıkuyu sits on the same route; combined, these three stops make a compact day trip toward Silifke that pairs natural and historical heritage, with short driving distances keeping the itinerary relaxed.

Mersin's Old Harbour Quarter and the Yumuktepe Mound

The old harbour and marina district in central Mersin preserves Ottoman and early republican-era trading buildings, while the nearby Yumuktepe mound reveals the region's oldest layers of settlement, with continuous occupation stretching from the Neolithic period all the way through to Byzantine times.

The first excavations at the mound ran from 1936 to 1938 under British archaeologist John Garstang, with later research led by Veli Sevin and Isabella Caneva after the Second World War. Once on the rural edge of the city, the mound now sits within Mersin's urban centre, and the layers uncovered there give archaeologists a valuable reference point for the region's unbroken settlement history.

Finishing the day with a walk through the historic buildings of the harbour quarter is the most practical way to experience ancient and modern Mersin on the same route; the province's layered past can be explored in full over a few days of coastal-to-inland travel, since the coastal castles and sinkholes pair easily with the inland ancient cities.