Tarsus was a city in ancient Cilicia located in the modern-day province of Mersin, Turkey. It is one of the oldest continually inhabited urban centers in the world, dating back to the Neolithic Period. It was built close by the Cydnus River (modern-day Berdan River) and was an important trade center for most of its history. It is best known as the birthplace of Saint Paul (also known as Saul of Tarsus l. c. 5- c. 64 CE) and, according to Plutarch, Cleopatra VII (l. c. 69-30 BCE) met Mark Antony (l. 83-30 BCE) aboard her ship outside the city's port-side gate, the ruins of which are a popular tourist attraction in the present day. Alexander the Great (l. 356-323 BCE) recuperated in Tarsus when he fell ill there after swimming in the Cydnus in 333 BCE after taking the city in his conquest of Cilicia.
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Definition
Timeline
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c. 2500 BCETarsus most likely develops from a trade center of the Hatti.
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2334 BCE - 2083 BCETarsus known as Tarsisi in the time of the Akkadian Empire.
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1700 BCE - 1200 BCETarsus known as Tarsa under the Hittites.
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c. 1276 BCE - 1178 BCETarsus sacked by the Sea Peoples.
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c. 700 BCE - 612 BCETarsus capital of Cilicia under Assyrians.
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547 BCE - 333 BCETarsus thrives under the Persian Empire.
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400 BCETarsus becomes the seat of a Persian Satrapy.
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333 BCETarsus taken by Alexander the Great.
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333 BCEStop over of Alexander the Great at Tarsus.
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103 BCETarsus taken by Rome.
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66 BCEPopulace of Tarsus receives Roman Citizenship.
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64 BCETarsus is capital of Roman Cilicia Campestris.
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41 BCECleopatra and Mark Antony meet at Tarsus.
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27 BCETarsus is capital of Roman province of Syria-Cilicia Phoenice.
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27 BCE - c. 476 CETarsus thrives under the Roman Empire.
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5 CEPaul the Apostle is born in Tarsus.
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c. 476 CE - 700 CETarsus continues to flourish under Byzantine Empire.
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700 CE - 965 CETarsus taken by Muslim armies.
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965 CE - 1453 CETarsus is again under Byzantine control until the empire falls.
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c. 1453 CETarsus is taken by the Ottoman Empire.
