Known as the place where Cleopatra met Mark Antony for the first time, Tarsus may not be the first thing that comes to mind when traveling to Turkiye.
In fact, I never really planned to visit the town until my boyfriend (now fiancé since I've been engaged for four months now!) and I went to Mersin for my friend's wedding.
For the Ancient Greek enthusiasts, you may be more familiar with the city as Tarsus used to be the capital of Cilicia in the Asian Minor southern Anatolia.
If you're Christian, you may have heard of Tarsus from the apostle: Paul of Tarsus. Born as a Jew in Tarsus, Paul became the Christian apostle who had a pivotal role in spreading the teachings of Christianity at the very beginning.
I'm not exactly an Ancient Greek enthusiast, nor am I a devout Christian, but I got a chance to visit Tarsus for a day and I'd like to share my experience with you. Is Tarsus worth visiting? What to do in Tarsus for a day? Let's find out!
With 7,000 years of history from the Hittites to the modern Turkiye, Tarsus was one of the very first cities where religions co-existed.
Once home to Jews, Christians, and Muslims, the city is also known as the first meeting point between Cleopatra and Mark Antony—who later became the love of her life.
The city has been up and down ever since, until in 1923 under the Treaty of Lausanne when the Greek and Turkish governments agreed on the population exchange between both countries. As a result, the Tarsus population has become homogenous with Muslims these days.
However, that doesn't make Tarsus less interesting to visit for Christian pilgrimages. It remains an important spot to visit if you join the biblical tour in Turkiye. You can still visit some historical sites important to Christians, including St. Paul's Church and the Tomb of Daniel.
Unlike Ephesus or Troy, where you can only visit the ruins, in Tarsus, you can wander around exploring how the past meets the present in the now-modern city of Turkiye.
How to Travel to Tarsus, Turkiye
Located in the southern part of Turkiye, Tarsus is a municipality in Mersin Province. If you plan to fly from Istanbul or other big cities in Turkiye, you can consider taking a flight to Adana first.
My fiancé and I flew from Sabiha Gokcen Airport on the Asian side of Istanbul to Adana with AJet flight (formerly known as AnadoluJet), and we took Havas bus from Adana International Airport to Mersin. The same bus stops in Tarsus between Adana and Mersin, so you can opt to stop there if needed.
However, most travelers typically stay in either Mersin or Adana for their accommodations since there aren't many hotels in Tarsus. When we did some research, we could only find Osmanli Marco Pasha Hotel and Burhanoglu Konagi Butik Otel in Tarsus.
In the end, we stayed in Mersin for my friend's wedding so we had to take a day trip from Mersin to Tarsus to make this trip happen. Here are some transport options to travel to Tarsus, Turkiye!
The cheapest way to travel to Tarsus is by the regional TCDD train using the Adana-Mersin route. Like the Havas bus from Adana airport to Mersin, the train also stops in Tarsus between Adana and Mersin—except it's cheaper!
We arrived at Mersin train station at around 11.30 AM. We couldn't get any train timetable information on the internet, but my friend told me that the Mersin-Adana train departs regularly every day, and there is one that departs at noon local time.
Unlike the train from Izmir to Ephesus, we can buy the train ticket from Mersin to Tarsus on the spot in exchange for a ticket card. We bought the return ticket for 23 TL (approximately $0.65 USD).
The train departed from Mersin at 12.38 PM, and the staff informed us that the last train to Mersin would depart at 5 PM, so we barely had 4 hours to explore Tarsus as a whole that day.
My first impression when taking the train from Mersin to Tarsus, it reminded me of the train from Izmir to Selcuk in 2010. It comes with a 2-2 seat configuration, and the return ticket at 23 TL doesn't include the assigned seat. We had to stand up to commute to Tarsus, but it wasn't a long journey so it wasn't a big problem.
The trip from Mersin to Tarsus and the other way around took around an hour, and we walked to most of the spots we've visited—and also took dolmus to further spots like Tarsus Waterfall.
Taxi or Rental Car to Tarsus
Another option is to take taxi or rent a car from Mersin (or Adana, it depends on where you stay!) to Tarsus.
It's a tad bit more expensive, but it's quite convenient since taking public transport in Tarsus can be pretty confusing. For instance, when we took a minibus from Cleopatra Gate to Tarsus Waterfall, it took a while for us to get to the right dolmus.
Uber and BiTaksi are available for online taxi booking in Mersin, so you can easily check the average fare for a taxi from Mersin to Tarsus using the app.
Things to Do in Tarsus
Although we barely had 4 hours to explore Tarsus in a day, we got a chance to visit some of the most important spots in the city. To tell you the truth, the city itself was a bit underwhelming but I'm glad that I've been there to see it myself.
I'm sure visiting Tarsus may have a more significant impact if you're on a pilgrimage, but I'm not. So while I'm glad to say that I've visited this place, I don't think I have the intention to come back for whatever reason.
So, if you're not sure what to see in Tarsus, here's everything you need to know!
1. St. Paul's Well
When talking about Tarsus, you can't separate Saint Paul of Tarsus in the conversation. In fact, a lot of people visit Tarsus because of him so they can commemorate his first steps to introduce Christianity and expand it throughout the then-Roman Empire in Europe.
Born Saul of Tarsus, Paul the Apostle came from a rich family with a Jewish background. St. Paul's Well in Tarsus is believed to be a water well that was once attached to the house where Paul the Apostle lived in Tarsus.
The well in Tarsus was the first spot we visited after having lunch and walking for around 1 kilometer from Tarsus train station. The entrance ticket to St. Paul's Well costs 40 TL (around $1.15 USD), and there's an information board about Paul the Apostle if you're not Christian and not familiar with his significant role in the New Testament.
Some people believe that the water from the well has healing properties, but Saint Paul's Well in Tarsus is actually so much smaller than I expected—and it was pretty crowded with the pilgrims when we visited, so we were only there for around 15 minutes and left.
St. Paul's Church in Tarsus is only a kilometer from the well, but we didn't go there as we wanted to make time to get to Tarsus Waterfall. However, after visiting the well, I was second guessing whether we should've gone to the church instead.
2. Old Tarsus Home
The historical attractions in Tarsus are located in the center, making the surrounding areas an open-air museum where you can do sightseeing for free.
Not too far from the Tarsus well, you can find a lot of old Tarsus houses with their iconic limestone and high doors.
The house buildings and the cobbled street around this area remind me of Cumalikizik village in Bursa and Sirince in Selcuk, although the Old Tarsus Home area is pretty narrow and small. And unlike Cumalikizik and Sirince, it's located in the heart of the city near the market.
3. Mausoleum of Daniel
Another bible-related spot in Tarsus is the tomb of Daniel, which is also considered a sacred mosque in Turkiye.
The story of the Jewish prophet from Babylon who was thrown in the lion's den and survived, the Mausoleum of Daniel in Tarsus isn't the only place that claims to be his last resting place. However, if you're interested in visiting, you can go to Makam-i Danyal Camii to answer your curiosity.
Daniel's Tomb in Tarsus was claimed not too long after the city was conquered by Umar bin Khatab, the Rashidun caliph and Prophet Muhammad's father-in-law. His subordinate found a coffin with the body wearing a finger with a figure of two lions and a boy, which made them believe that it was the body of Daniel the Prophet.
Whether you believe it or not, the Mausoleum of Daniel has become one of the important places to visit in Tarsus ever since. So make sure to stop by the mosque when you have time to visit it in Tarsus!
4. Cleopatra's Gate
Named after the Ptolemaic Egypt queen Cleopatra to commemorate her grand entrance in Tarsus when she met the then-Roman General ruling the eastern province of the empire, Mark Antony.
Like most important cities in the Roman Empire, the ancient city of Tarsus was also surrounded by walls for protection. Initially, there were three gates to enter and exit Tarsus: Sea Gate (Deniz Kapi), Mountain Gate (Dag Kapi), and Adana Gate (Adana Kapi).
All the gates eventually got demolished under the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century, except for the Sea Gate, which is now known as Cleopatra's Gate. The gate was believed to be the spot used by Cleopatra to enter Tarsus on her arrival to meet Mark Antony.
Cleopatra's Gate has become the landmark in Tarsus until today, making it a must-visit spot in the city. Although keep in mind that it's located in the middle of a busy road, and the gate is surrounded by a small park that can be pretty packed if you come with a big tour.
5. Tarsus Waterfall
The farthest we've been in Tarsus is the waterfall, which took around an hour by dolmus from the city center where Cleopatra's Gate is located.
Unfortunately, we were pretty much in a hurry to catch the train back to Mersin at 5 PM so we didn't get a chance to see the grand waterfall in Tarsus. Instead, we stopped by the cafe near the entrance and had our afternoon snack while enjoying the view of the river stream nearby.
I think it's the only regret that I had when visiting Tarsus, as we didn't get a chance to explore more of Tarsus waterfall. I think it would've been different if we could find a taxi in Tarsus, which wasn't the case.
Tarsus waterfall is located near the motorway, and while there are minibusses that pass the waterfall area, it's quite rare as we waited around 30 minutes until we got one.
Thankfully, we got it in time for us to catch our train back to Mersin on time!
FAQs
Does Tarsus actually exist?
Yes, Tarsus is not just a biblical name. It is a city that still stands until today with the same name.
Unlike some cities in Turkiye that have changed their names multiple times (Istanbul from Constantinople, Edirne from Adrianople, Bursa from Prusia, etc.), Tarsus retains its ancient name to this day.
Unlike some ancient Greek cities like Ephesus to Termessos, where you can only see the ruins, Tarsus has transformed into a modern city where over 350,000 people live.
Where is Tarsus?
Tarsus is a district in Mersin Province, situated around 30 kilometers from two big cities in southern Turkiye: Adana and Mersin.
You can take a bus or train from both cities pretty easily, which should take around an hour per trip.
Is Tarsus worth visiting?
If you're a devout Christian looking for some places to go to deepen your spiritual knowledge beyond the Holy Land, then you should consider putting Tarsus on your next bucket list.
Tarsus is where you can explore Saint Paul's footsteps when he tried to embrace and spread the apostle in the first-century world. From the well of Paul the Apostle to the place where many people believe the tomb of Daniel, these are some important places mentioned in the bible to explore.
Personally, just like when I visited the archaeological site of Troy in Canakkale, Tarsus wouldn't make my top 10 places in Turkiye just because I've been to more places that I find worth visiting for my traveling style. However, I wouldn't say I regret my chance to visit the biblical city of Tarsus in Turkiye.
Conclusion
Tarsus is probably not a very popular tourist attraction in Turkiye, but the city has drawn many Christian pilgrims who want to explore more of the place where Paul of the Apostle was born and grew up.
If you read the bible, you can also visit what's believed to be the final resting place of Daniel. While the tomb is now located in a mosque complex in Tarsus, the area is full of well-preserved ruins that you can enjoy, no matter what your faith is.
For non-Christians, Tarsus can be pretty fascinating to explore—especially if you love history. The thought of it being the place where Cleopatra and Mark Antony met and probably fell in love is quite fascinating. To top it all, you can also stroll through the old Tarsus houses if you love architecture.
A day trip to Tarsus can easily be done from either Adana or Mersin, so make sure to include it in your Turkiye itinerary if you plan to explore the southern part of the country!
Marya The BeauTraveler
I am the founder and main editor at The BeauTraveler. I spent 4 years working in the aviation industry but ironically got to travel more right after quitting the industry in 2015. Born and raised in Indonesia, I started working remotely in 2017, and while I stay at home most of the time, I also regularly spend 2-3 months living a semi-digital nomad life elsewhere every year.
