Tarsus: The Roman Road and Cleopatra's Gate
Paved street and city gate of Paul's 'no mean city'
Found 1993 — Tarsus Museum rescue excavation (1993) under the Ministry of Culture; Gözlükule mound excavated by Hetty Goldman, Bryn Mawr College (1934–1939, 1947–1949) and by Boğaziçi University (since 2001, Aslı Özyar)
Where Tarsus, Mersin Province (Turkey)
Dates from Road 2nd century BCE, colonnade 2nd century CE; gate Roman, rebuilt later · Hellenistic–Roman · Birth and youth of Paul; Paul's years in Tarsus (Acts 9:30; 11:25)
Now at In situ (Cumhuriyet Square open site; Cleopatra's Gate on Adana road); mound finds in Tarsus Museum and Adana Museum
How Tarsus: The Roman Road and Cleopatra's Gate was found
Work on a car park in Cumhuriyet Square hit a basalt-paved street 7 m wide with drains and a colonnaded portico; it was preserved as an open-air site. Goldman's mound excavations had earlier traced Tarsus from the Neolithic through the Hellenistic period.
What it is
A 65 m stretch of polygonal basalt paving with wheel ruts, a covered drain and a later colonnade with shops, laid down under Antiochus IV in the 2nd century BCE and used through Roman times. Cleopatra's Gate, the one surviving city gate, is a Roman arch (heavily restored in 1994) on the road to the ancient harbour where, in 41 BCE, Cleopatra sailed up to meet Antony.
Why it matters for the Bible
Paul called himself 'a Jew of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city' (Acts 21:39). Modern Tarsus sits on the ancient town, so the Roman street is the best glimpse of the streets he walked as a boy and, after his conversion, during the silent years before Barnabas fetched him to Antioch (Acts 11:25). 'St Paul's Well' nearby is a later tradition without archaeological support.
The Hebrew word: tar-SHEESH
תַּרְשִׁישׁ
תַּרְשִׁישׁ is pronounced tar-SHEESH and means Tarshish — the far western port of the Tanakh, which some ancient writers equated with Tarsus (Strong's H8659).
People this discovery connects to
- Paul — שָׁאוּל (shah-OOL) — 'asked for'; Latin Paulus, born at Tarsus
Places
- Tarsus — טַרְסוֹס (tar-SOS) — Greek Tarsos; sometimes (doubtfully) linked to biblical Tarshish
Events
Paul's birth and citizenship at Tarsus · Paul's years in Tarsus before Antioch
Tarsus: The Roman Road and Cleopatra's Gate in Scripture
Acts 9:11 First mention of Tarsus in Scripture.
Acts 21:39 'A citizen of no mean city' — the paved, colonnaded street shows Tarsus' standing.
Acts 22:3 Paul, born in Tarsus but raised in Jerusalem.
Questions people ask
What is Tarsus: The Roman Road and Cleopatra's Gate?
A 65 m stretch of polygonal basalt paving with wheel ruts, a covered drain and a later colonnade with shops, laid down under Antiochus IV in the 2nd century BCE and used through Roman times. Cleopatra's Gate, the one surviving city gate, is a Roman arch (heavily restored in 1994) on the road to the ancient harbour where, in 41 BCE, Cleopatra sailed up to meet Antony.
When was Tarsus: The Roman Road and Cleopatra's Gate discovered?
It was found in 1993 by Tarsus Museum rescue excavation (1993) under the Ministry of Culture; Gözlükule mound excavated by Hetty Goldman, Bryn Mawr College (1934–1939, 1947–1949) and by Boğaziçi University (since 2001, Aslı Özyar), at Tarsus, Mersin Province.
Where is Tarsus: The Roman Road and Cleopatra's Gate today?
In situ (Cumhuriyet Square open site; Cleopatra's Gate on Adana road); mound finds in Tarsus Museum and Adana Museum.
Which Bible verses does Tarsus: The Roman Road and Cleopatra's Gate relate to?
Acts 9:11, Acts 21:39, Acts 22:3.
Related discoveries
- דֶּרֶךְVia Egnatia and the Port of NeapolisThe Roman highway and harbour that carried the Good News into Europe
- בֵּימָהGallio Inscription (Delphi)Letter of Emperor Claudius naming Gallio proconsul of Achaia — the anchor date for Paul's ministry
- מָקוֹם תְּפִלָּהLydia's Baptism Site on the Gangites (Zygaktis) RiverThe riverside 'place of prayer' outside Philippi where Europe's first recorded believer was immersed
- דַּמֶּשֶׂקDamascus: Straight Street and the Temple of JupiterThe Roman city grid of Acts 9 and the great temple that became the Umayyad Mosque
- עֹגֶןMalta: St Paul's Bay and the Roman Anchor ClaimsThe traditional landing site and lead anchor stocks said to be from Paul's ship — unproven
- עַכּוֹAcco / Ptolemais (Tel Akko)The Canaanite–Phoenician port Asher never took, where Paul spent a day with the believers
Sources
- Historical Sites in Tarsus (Biblical Turkey)
- Ancient road uncovered in Turkey's Tarsus (Hürriyet Daily News)
- Cleopatra's Gate (Wikipedia)
Open Tarsus: The Roman Road and Cleopatra's Gate in Hebrew Explorer →