Cleopatra's Gate

Eastern Mediterranean


Walk a kilometre southwest of the Old City along İsmet Paşa Bulvarı to get to the Roman Kancık Kapısı, literally the 'Slut's Gate', but better known as Cleopatra's Gate. Despite the name it has nothing to do with the Egyptian queen, although she is thought to have met (and fallen in love with) Mark Antony here in 41 BC. Heavy-handed restoration has robbed it of any sense of antiquity.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Eastern Mediterranean attractions

1. Tarsus Museum

0.27 MILES

The Tarsus Museum, which was at the time of research in the process of moving from its former location in the city’s cultural centre to a disused…

2. Roman Road

0.32 MILES

A wonderful 60m-long stretch of Roman road was uncovered in the heart of the Old City in 1993; note the herringbone design and the sewer system directly…

3. Kırkkașık Bedesteni

0.33 MILES

This old marketplace, whose name means `40 Spoons Bazaar' in Turkish, was built in 1597 and has also served as a soup kitchen, medrese (religious seminary…

4. Church of St Paul

0.34 MILES

South of the Old City, what is also called the St Paul Memorial Museum (St Paul Anıt Müzesi) was originally built in 1850 as a Greek Orthodox church to…

5. Tarsus Historical Houses

0.35 MILES

In the neighbourhoods of Şehitkerim, Sofular and Kızılmurat you'll come across some lovely examples of historical Tarsus houses, one of which is now the…

6. Ulu Cami

0.35 MILES

The Ulu Cami (Great Mosque), which was built at the end of the 16th century, sports a curious 19th-century minaret moonlighting as a clock tower.

7. Old Town

0.36 MILES

The compact Old City lies between Adana Bulvarı and Hal Caddesi. It includes a wonderful 60m-long stretch of Roman road and a labyrinth of alleyways…

8. Makam Cami

0.38 MILES

The main building of the Makam Cami (Official Mosque) was built in 1857, with a minaret added 10 years later. The older foundations to the north are…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "turkey/tarsus/attractions/cleopatra-s-gate/a/poi-sig/1249232/1319751",
      "destination": "Eastern-Mediterranean",
      "continent": "Europe",
      "country": "Türkiye",
      "region": "Eastern-Mediterranean",
      "position": "superzone"
    }