Driving
2 kilometers inland from Mezitli you come across the ruins of antique city
Pompeipolis at Viranşehir. This is an impressive place among 20-story apartment
blocks surrounding it. The columned road is enough to demonstrate the richness
and architectural success of this antique city. Pompeipolis was an important
Roman city before it was flattened by an earthquake in the 6th
Century. The main 10-meter wide thoroughfare of the city that runs for 450
meters down to the sea is thought to be built during the 2nd or 3rd
Centuries. Once there were 200 columns that embellished this road. Only 40 of
them have been found so far. There are human and animal figures on the columns.
Excavation
work is still continuing shedding more light on the history of this antique
city. Before Pompeipolis, there was a city called Soloi in this location. Soloi
got its name from the sun. It was a port enriched by trading with Egypt and
Cyprus. It was quite developed in philosophy and science at the time.
Roman
general Pompeius came to Cilicia with his army to put an end to the domination
of pirates in the region. He allowed some of pirates worthy of his mercy to
settle in Soloi. He developed the city and gave his name to it. The city was to
be called Pompeipolis from that point on. During the Byzantine period,
Pompeipolis continued to be an important center and became a diocese with a
bishop.
But
in the year 527 a devastating earthquake leveled the city. All the efforts of
the city to recover from the disaster were in vain. It became the target of
attacks by Sasanites and Moslem Arabs. It is thought that the inhabitants of
the Pompeipolis evacuated the city a while later.