Tarsus via Constantinople

We had returned to serve in New Zealand, from service in the Southern Africa Territory, for the beginning of 2020, just in time for Covid-19. A global pandemic, of course, put paid to any further official study tours for a while.  When the world settled back to its 'new normal', study tours were still suspended, for financial reasons.

While we were serving in Southern Africa, our territory had adopted a policy which allowed officers to make a proposal for a sabbatical, of up to three months. The proposal which I submitted, and had approved, included a month of travel to try to complete my goal of visiting the last of my identified Pauline sites. The plan was to base myself in Athens and make side trips to Turkey (Tarsus), Albania (Illyricum), Lebanon (Tyre, Sidon), Israel (Ptolemais, Antipatris), and even Syria (Damascus). 

However, before that sabbatical could become a reality, we received a call from our International Headquarters appointing us to serve in the Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands Territory.  Our roles did require us to attend a training event in London (UK) in March 2024 which, along with some remaining long service leave, opened the door to one more location. On the way to Tarsus we took some time to have a look around the old city of Istanbul - Constantinople.  

Above left: Walled Obelisk in the Hippodrome of Constantine. It stood at the southern end of the spina, the central spine of the chariot racing track.

Above centre: Obelisk of Theodosius - one of a pair from 14th C BCE Egypt. One was transported to the Circus Maximus in Rome in 357AD, while this one was eventually transported to Constantinople by Theodosius 1 in 390AD.  It was this Theodosius who convened the Council of Constantinople (381AD) which confirmed Nicene orthodoxy, by affirming what is more fully called the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed (the Nicene Creed). 

Above right: Christos Pantokrator (Christ, Ruler of All), digitally recreated in the digitally recreated dome of Hagia Sophia, in part of the Hagia Sophia History Museum.

Photos: 17/3/24

The next day we began to tick off the list of sites we had identified in our planning but, unsurprisingly, discovered others to add to our itinerary. There was plenty to see. Our list, in no particular order, included: the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar, the Forum of Constantine, the Milion, the Column of the Goths, and the Hippodrome.

Along the way we found the Cistern of Philoxenos, the Cistern of Theodosius, and the Basillica Cistern. On the way to the Column of the Goths we found the so-called St Paul's Orphanage in Gülhane Park. We also walked to the Aqueduct of Valens and I went for a walk below the southern end of the Hippodrome to see the extent of the Sphendon. A sunset cruise on the Bosphorus provided a perspective on the size of the modern city. 

Above left: The Column of Constantine, in what was the Forum of Constantine, is the oldest surviving monument from the Constantinian period. The column itself is made of seven individual 2.90m diameter 'drums' each weighing about 60 tonnes. The drums are made of porphyry - the so-called Roman imperial stone  - quarried in the Egyptian desert east of the Nile. It was erected to celebrate the establishment of Constantinopolis as the new capital of the Roman empire, 330AD.

Above right: And at the entirely practical end of the spectrum, there's the Sphendone! This huge semi-circular supporting terrace, on a substructure of 25 supporting arches and concentric chambers within, provided the level ground for the southern turning arc of the Hippodrome. The massive rampart remains, but there's a technical school on top now.

Below left: The Column of the Goths, Gülhane Park, below the Topkapı Palace. Probably celebrating Roman victory over the Goths, (c. 270AD) making it older than the Column of Constantine. It is 18.5m high with a solid, one-piece, marble shaft.

Below right: St Paul's Orphanage, Gülhane Park. Founded by the emperor Justin II (565-578) and and Empress Sophia. It served not only orphans, but also elderly people, the blind, and war veterans.

Photos: 18/3/24

Above left:  The Basilica Cistern (6thC): almost 10,000m2 , with 336 columns 9m high, for a possible volume of 80,000m3 of water, under the streets of the city. The largest of the three cisterns we visited, the others being those of Philoxenos (4thC), Theodosius (5thC).

Above right: A portion of the Aqueduct of Valens, a relatively short walk from the Hippodrome area. No point in having a cistern, or multiple cisterns, if you haven't got any water to store! This was the last arcaded bridge in the aqueduct system that brought water to Constantinopolis from hundreds of kilometers to the west.

Below left: Sunset over the old city of Constantinople. A sunset cruise on the Bosphorus is a great way to see something of greater Istanbul and to be, literally, where East meets West.

Below right: The Blue Mosque by night.

Photos: 18/3/24

Above left: Is this the apse of a Christian Church. There was no signage, so who knows... 

Above right: According to the locals there had not been much snow in the Taurus mountains this season so the lack of snow melt left the famous falls in a pretty unspectacular state! (For what it can look like, see here.)

Photos: 20 March 2024

The next day we embarked on our planned walking tour of sites scattered around the main town area of Tarsus. The printed itinerary we had made for ourselves included a copy of the route (below) and navigating with offline Google Maps was a breeze.

Above left: What remains of the Roman baths of Tarsus. The hammam (Turkish bath house) across the block had a sign saying it was built on some of the foundations of the Roman Baths, so it must have extended over a significant area!

Above right: A portion of a 1st century Roman bridge that once spanned the Cydnus River, which flowed through the middle of town in Paul's day. The river would later be diverted to protect the city from seasonal floods, and eventually the bridge was lost to history. It was 'discovered' beneath the Daniel Cami (Mosque) when it was renovated in 2002. The Daniel Mosque - so-called because it is said to contain the remains of the Daniel of the Hebrew scriptures -  is just across the road from the Roman baths.

Below left: St Paul's Church / Memorial Museum is the largest monument in honour of St Paul in Tarsus. While there may have been more in antiquity, this is the only remaining church dedicated to St Paul and it was only constructed in 1862. It is very sparsely decorated inside, and the only image of Paul is a photograph of a mosaic that must be located somewhere else! So, here's a photo of the ornamental gateway,... which is, itself, not used as the entrance to the site!

Below right: Cleopatra's Gate stood as one of the entryways, through the defensive walls, into the city of Tarsus. It now stands alone in a roundabout with a busy flow of traffic either side. It was at Tarsus, of course, that Cleopatra VII allied herself with Mark Anthony, both romantically and militarily. That would all come to a messy end after the Battle of Actium (31BC), the decisive battle that would see Octavian go on to become Caesar Augustus

Photos: 21 March 2024

Above left:  A short section of Roman Road has been unearthed, adjacent to the Archaeological Museum at the left. Did Paul walk here, or was this road resurfaced in the centuries that followed?

Above right:  The Tarsus Archaeological Museum has a small display about St Paul, one of it's famous sons. He stands here with a Byzantine Cross and a model of his (underwhelming) memorial church. On the opposite wall is a continuous video loop telling his life story. (The English subtitles were appreciated!)

Below left: Once believed to be a 2nd century BC temple site, later research has dated it to the 1st century, and possibly associated with emperor worship in the 2nd century. It is a massive edifice. We only expected to be able to walk around the outside, but as we were peering at the signboard through the gate, one of the neighbours arrived with a key and let us inside. He patiently waited by the gate (top right) while we made our tour and took our photographs. We slipped him €5 for his troubles.

Below right: The last stop for the day, before dinner at the foodcourt in the mall, was the Justinian Bridge. The emperor Justinian I (reigned 527-565), also responsible for the construction of the Hagia Sophia, was the one who diverted the Cydnus river away from the city. The diversion required a bridge over the river's new course, to the east of the city. The river, now known as the Tarsus Stream, flows from left to right behind the grassy bank in the middle left of the picture.

Photos: 21 March 2024

We completed the loop via St Paul's Well. However, the sign outside read,... "St. Paul's Well is temporarily closed due to restoration work. Thank you for your understanding." There was no evidence of anybody working on the site! To be fair to the four people sitting inside the office, not making eye contact with the beggars at the gate, the timestamp on the photo suggests it may have been lunch time! Oh well! Another site that calls for a revisit!

After a sustanance break, on a cafe balcony overlooking the main street, we wandered a little futher south and east, visiting the Donuktaş and, the last stop for the day before dinner at the foodcourt in the mall, the Justinian Bridge 

Above left: Once believed to be a second century BC temple site, later research has dated it to the first century, and possibly associated with emperor worship in the second century It is a massive edifice. We only expected to be able to walk around the outside, but as we were peering at the signboard through the gate, one of the neighbours arrived with a key and let us inside. He patiently waited by the gate (top right) while we made our tour and took our photographs. We slipped him €5 for his troubles.

Above right: The emperor Justinian I (reigned 527-565), also responsible for the construction of the Hagia Sophia, was the one who diverted the Cydnus river away from the city. The diversion required a bridge over the river's new course, to the east of the city, known now as the Justinina Bridge. The river, now known as the Tarsus Stream, flows from left to right behind the grassy bank in the middle left of the picture.

Photos: 21 March 2024

The next day, Friday 22 March, was road trip day. With offline Google Maps in hand we ventured out of Tarsus looking for a Roman road, a mountain road, and an eighteen hundred year old inscription. 

The first stop was an extant section of Roman Road, the route at least Paul would have walked as he travelled to Derbe and Lystra (Acts 16:1) after, with Silas, he had travelled  "through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. (Acts 15:41)

Above left: A reconstructed arch marks the beginning of an extensive section of Roman Road that runs north towards the Taurus Mountains.

Above right: Looking back - the arch is visible on the horizon, left of centre.

Below left: The so-called Caracalla Inscription (although the locals call it Iskender Kitabesi - Alexander's Inscription) is down a series of steps in front of our rental car. It is now well below the level of the modern road (See the truck cab visible through the trees at right.) 

Below middle: Both Alexander and Caracalla (reigned 198–217 AD) marched their armies east through the Cilician Gates. Caracalla, on his way to a failed mission to defeat the Parthians, widened the road as he did so. The poorly preserved inscription reads: "Emperor Caesar Marcus Antoninus, the faithful, blessed, invincible Augustus (Caracalla), constructed this road by digging through the mountains." Paul's passage westward along this road (Acts 15:36ff) was for a very different purpose!

Below right: Before we found the inscription, we had even made an unexpected visit to Pozantı, when Google Maps (or was it the driver) led us astray on our way. It turned out to be a very convenient lunch stop in a small, picturesque, mountain village.

Photos: 22 March 2024

When we returned to Tarsus, there was still time for me to take another stroll around our walking tour. My intention was to make sure I had good photographs of each location but the extra bonus was finding the St Paul's Well site open. The fastest revisit of any on my list!!

Above left: Whether or not it belonged to Paul's family, as is traditionally claimed, it's a nice way for Paul to be remembered in his home town. Living water, anyone?

Above right: 'ST PAUL' laid out in the garden of the St Paul's Well site. 

Photos: 22 March 2024

The next day we said farewell to Tarsus, and to the friendly staff of Osmanli Marco Pasho Hotel, and made our way back to Adana, to Istanbul, and back to London. We had a couple of days to spend in London, doing the tourist thing and taking in a show. 

I thought we had left St Paul behind for this journey, but we stayed in an airport hotel and as we connected with the bus/rail network we came across St Paul's Hounslow.  The interior of the church has been extensively remodelled to serve as both a place of worship and a thriving community service centre. The main window above the altar was a beautiful tribute to St Paul, as were the acts of love and service being offered in the name of Jesus Christ all around the sanctuary.

This was one last delightful discovery to sign off for this trip.

Below: The east window of St Paul's, Hounslow. 

From left to right the panels depict: 

• Saul, at bottom right, is witness to the martyrdom of Stephen. (The text below reads, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.")

• Saul's encounter with the risen Christ on the way to Damascus. (The text below reads, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?")

• The critical moment in Acts, and in church history, the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. 

• Paul's ministry in Athens. (The text below reads, "In him we live and move and have our being.")

• Paul answers the jailer's question at Philippi. (The text below reads, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.")

Across the bottom the text reads, "This window was erected to the memory of Betsy Ellis of Hounslow by her son William Denby Ellis AD 1879"

Photo: 25 March 2024