In ancient times, the Cydnus River (now called Tarsus Cayi) flowed through the middle of Tarsus. According to Strabo (Geography 14), the gymnasium of Tarsus stood beside the river.

Because its source is snow-melt from the nearby Taurus mountains, the Cydnus is ice-cold most of the year. According to Plutarch (Alexander 19), during Alexander the Great's 333 BCE visit to Tarsus, he became violently ill and almost died from bathing in its icy waters.

Farther downstream, the Cydnus flowed 8 km. (5 mi.) to the Rhegma, a lake that served as the harbor of Tarsus. Vessels that plied the Mediterranean could moor here, while smaller craft could go up-river to the city. This is just what Cleopatra did on her visit to Marc Antony in 41 BCE, arriving in Tarsus on a gilded, flower-filled barge (Plutarch, Antony 26-27, see link below).

Flooding within the city was a seldom a problem, but in the sixth century CE, a particularly large snow-melt wiped out the city's bridges. To prevent such a disaster, Justinian diverted half of the Cydnus to its present channel on the eastern edge of Tarsus, building a sturdy bridge over the new channel which remains to this day. Now known simply as "Stone Bridge," it was still in use until 1978, when a new bridge was built nearby. "Stone Bridge" remains on display beside the river in a park built for it, paralleling Adana Blvd. "Stone Bridge" is similar in construction to the much longer bridge in nearby Adana over the Sarus River (modern Seyhan Cayi), a 21-pier bridge built by Hadrian in the second century and rebuilt by Justinian (see Procopius, Buildings 5.5.8-20) for an account of Justinian's work on both of these bridges.

In 2006 and 2007, during construction work at the Makam Danyal mosque in Tarsus, workers uncovered a structure that turned out to be a first-century bridge over the former channel of the Cydnus. (See below for more details.)

SOURCE: Jack Finegan, The Archeology of the New Testament: The Mediterranean World of the Early Christian Apostles (Boulder, CO: Westview, 1981):52-53; Plutarch, Strabo, Procopius, and Yildiz (see below).

Want to go deeper?

The following are recommended to help you look deeper into the history and archaeology of Tarsus.

Recommended for purchase:

Claude E. Fant & Mitchell G. Reddish – A Guide to Biblical Sites in Greece and Turkey (Oxford, 2003). – Nearly two-thirds of the New Testament, including all the letters of Paul, most of Acts, and the Book of Revelation, are set in either Turkey or Greece. This book serves as a historical, biblical, and archaeological guide to most of these biblical sites, including Tarsus. View excerpt

Todd Bolen – CD-ROM: Turkey: Pictorial Library of Bible Lands (2004) – Series is most complete collection of high resolution Bible Land images available... perfect for worship, class study, or personal Bible study! Highest quality available. This CD features more than 700 high-resolution digitized images, including Tarsus, but also: Cities of Paul's Journeys (Antioch on the Orontes, Seleucia, Pisidian Antioch, Lystra and Derbe, Colossae, Hierapolis, Assos, Alexandria Troas, and Miletus); seven churches of Revelation: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea; plus Istanbul, Cappadocia, Priene, and Troy.

John Mandeville. Turkey Travel Pack with Pull-out Map (4th ed., 2007). – Pocket-sized guide packed with useful information, tips, and recommendations, accompanied by color photographs, charts and maps for the first-time traveller who wants to experience the major highlights that Turkey has to offer. Incorporates essential information in an easy-to-carry and easy-to-read format. Fold-out map of Turkey plus 7 area maps, 4 site plans, and 10 town plans.

Langenscheidt. Insight Compact Guide: Turkey (Langenscheidt Publ. Group). – Compact Guide Turkey includes chapter detailing Turkey's history and culture, 13 tours, cultural and leisure-time suggestions, and a comprehensive information section packed with essential contact addresses and numbers. Plus around 170 quality photographs and maps. 104 pages, paperback.

Ekrem Akurgal – Ancient Civilizations and Ruins of Turkey: From Prehistoric Times Until the End of the Roman Empire (Haset Kirabevi, 1985). | cheaper, earlier edition – Akurgal was the archaeologist in charge of the excavation of the original Smyrna at Bayrakli.

Online resources:

Wikipedia – "Tarsus (city)"

Abdulbari Yildiz – "Rescue Excavations at the Makam Danyal Camii in Tarsus" (first-century bridge and other finds).

Strabo – Tarsus and the Cydnus River (Geography 14.5.10-15).

Plutarch – Antony 26-27.

Procopius – Buildings 5.5.8-20.

Photos of three-arched "Stone Bridge" – From water side | From grassy side | Larger view (6th C., not 4th as labeled) | Hadrianic-Justinian bridge in Adana (originally 21 piers, of which 17 remain)