Silifke

Silifke is the ancient Seleucia ad Calycandus (Seleukeja nad Kalykadnosem) was established at the end of the 3rd century. p.n.e. The river that flows through the city is today called Góksu Hehri. The city was founded by one of the diadochi (heirs) Alexander the great, Seleukos I Nikator, first king of the Seleucid monarchy. Both the city, and the kingdom of Seleucus were named after him. Under the Romans, Seleukia developed significantly and flourished also in Byzantine times. Here died St.. Tekla, pupil of St.. Paul, to which the tomb went many pilgrimages. W XII c. the city fell to Armenia Minor, later Joannites from Rhodes stayed here, Venetian merchants, and finally the Ottomans took the city (XV w.).

In the Góksu River, in a canyon distant by 8 km from Silifka, The German Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa drowned during the Third Crusade (1190). It happened while showering, which he was taking, and his death is commemorated by the 1974 r. memory board.

Places, which are worth seeing

To the fortress (kale) located on a hill in the western part of the city, we reach the asphalt road leading from the Mut (Meander) Cad., near the intersection with Inónu Cad. After some point it climbs quite steeply. Another, but the slightly more complicated possibility is climbing a bit of asphalt road, and then the path that runs west of the Alaaddin Mosque.

The castle was built in Byzantine times, between the 7th and 12th centuries, and immediately began to serve as a refuge for the inhabitants of Seleukia from attacks by Arabs. At the end of the 12th century. the city and the fortress were captured by the Armenian king Leo II, who after some time gave his new trophy for a certain amount to the knights of the Order of St. John. Knights sat in the castle almost 15 years, winning several victories over the Seljuk during this time. Then they sold it back to the Armenians, and at the end (XV w.) the castle eventually fell to the Ottomans. It was guarded by eight circular towers placed between the double walls, the largest of which was situated on the west side of the hill.

Looking down on the city to the east, before Mut Cad. we will notice the ruins of Tekirambari (Byzantine cistern). Its dimensions are 46 at the base×23 m, and the depth – 12 m. There are holes at the top of the side walls, in which the entablature supporting the vault was once placed.

At Inónu Cad., roughly in the middle of its length, lie the ruins of the temple of Jupiter (Roman equivalent of the Greek Zeus), erected in the 2nd century, in Doric order, on the set of the so-called. peripterosa, that is, with a single row of columns (fourteen on the long sides and eight on the front and rear). Today, you can only admire the foundations and one grooved column. In Byzantine times, a Christian basilica was built here (V w.), of which, however, nothing is left. As the board informs, the temple of Jupiter is the only remaining temple of the three former Seleukya temples (one of them was the temple of Apollo, one of the important oracles).

Archeological museum – open every day (except Mondays) in hours. 8.00 – 17.00, introduction: 0,7 USD, students: 0,35 USD – it is located slightly to the south (on the road to Anamuru) from the main roundabout (ok. 300 m from the bus station) and houses interesting archaeological and ethnographic collections. Part of the Gulnar find deserves the most attention (a town east of Silifke), which consists of approx. 5000 (!) gold and silver coins from the times of Alexander the Great and the diadochi. One of them dates from the reign of the Persian king Darius I. (turn of the 5th and 4th centuries. p.n.e.). In the museum, you can also admire antique statuettes, and in the garden stands a bronze headless statue found among the ruins of the temple of Jupiter.

About 5 km south of the museum lies Ayatekla (grotto of st. single). Already in the 2nd century. a chapel was built in this place, and in Byzantine times a small church. Later, a three-nave one was built, long on 80 m the basilica, from which today you can admire only part of the apse. A little further there are the ruins of the cistern, next to which in the 5th century. One of the first Byzantine churches on the central plan was erected from the foundation of Emperor Zeno (covered with a dome). Saint Thecla accompanied St.. Paul in his journeys thereafter, how he converted her in Iconium (Konya today) for Christianity. In the Middle Ages, she was one of the most popular saints in Byzantium. Tradition proclaims, that it was here that she spent the last days of her life.

There are two more interesting mosques in Silifke: Resadiye Mosque (1328), for the construction of which parts of ancient buildings were used (the columns were placed the other way around, with capitals down), oraz Alaaddin Mosque (1226), near the stone bridge.