Soli-Pompeiopolis
Soli Pompeiopolis · Soli · Pompeiopolis · Soli/Pompeiopolis
Archaic to Medieval (c.700 BCE–1100 CE)·Rhodian → Persian → Hellenistic → Roman Cilician·🇹🇷 Mersin Province, Cilicia, Turkey
About
About Soli-Pompeiopolis
Harbour metropolis founded by Rhodians in the 7th c. BCE, sacked by Tigranes and re-founded by Pompey the Great (67 BCE) as Pompeiopolis, capital of Cilicia. The 1 km colonnaded avenue from harbour to inland gate (200 Corinthian columns, 11 still standing) is one of the longest in the eastern Mediterranean. Excavations have cleared the theatre, agora and the 60-ha man-made harbour basin (largest ancient harbour in Cilicia). Aratus the astronomer poet was born here; Chrysippus the Stoic hailed from Soli. Late Roman/Byzantine churches overlay the civic centre, and Crusader/Armenian repairs reuse columns.
Why it mattersLargest ancient harbour basin in eastern Mediterranean; model for Pompeian re-foundation policy.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Exact alignment of submerged harbour moles?
- 02Where was Aratus’ library within the city?
Theories
- 01Harbour dredging funded by pirate loot resettlement
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- Greek colony c.700 BCE; Pompeiopolis 67 BCE
- Period
- Archaic to Medieval (c.700 BCE–1100 CE)
- Culture
- Rhodian → Persian → Hellenistic → Roman Cilician
- Builders
- Rhodians, Seleucids, Pompey, Cilician pirates
- Purpose
- Port city and later Roman provincial capital
- Abandoned
- c. 1100 CE (Seljuk/Armenian take-over, harbour silts)
- Rediscovered
- 1820s Beaufort survey; 1999–present Remzi Yağcı (Dokuz Eylül) excavations
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c.700 BCE
Rhodian foundation as Soloi
67 BCE
Pompey re-founds Pompeiopolis for pirates
1999
Modern excavations begin; colonnade exposed
On the ground
Structures & features
36.7417° N · 34.5386° E · 5 m · 2 mapped features
Colonnaded Avenue
avenue200-column avenue from harbour to city gate, 11 columns standing
36.7420° N · 34.5388° EAncient Harbour Basin
harbourArtificial harbour 350 × 200 m with moles
36.7412° N · 34.5379° E
Gallery