Saint Paul's Church, Tarsus
Encyclopedia
Saint Paul's Church is a church in Tarsus
, Mersin Province
, Turkey
.
of the antiquity
, what is now South Turkey, was an important city during both ancient and medieval ages. The tombs of Daniel
of the Bible and Al-Ma'mun
(786-833), the caliph
, are in Tarsus. Saint Paul was a resident of Tarsus. He was born and lived in Tarsus as a Jew named Saul and after converting, made a number of missionary journeys during which he was arrested and beheaded by emperor Nero
of Roman Empire
in AD 64 or 67 on the 29th of June. After Saint Paul's death, Tarsus continued as an important city of the area. It became a part of the Byzantine Empire
, the Abbasid Empire, the Seljuk Empire, the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
, the Ramadanids and the Ottoman Empire
.
It is not known if there had been any churches established by Paul in Tarsus. But in 1704 P.Lucas wrote that there was Roman style church which had been built by Saint Paul. V.Langlois who visited Tarsus in 1851 confirmed this. In his words, thick walls which resemble Roman style, windows which are narrower in outer side than inside, and thick columns are noticeable. But no other records exist to back this claim .
According to records there was also a Cathedral named Hagia Sophia in the city during medieval ages, in which Leon I of Rubenid
house was crowned by Konrad Von Wittelsbach
, the Archbishop of Mainz and the representative of Pope
, as the king of Cilician Kingdom of Armenia in 1198.
in the middle Mathew, Mark, Luke and John at the two sides.
The church and the surroundings are on the UN World Heritage Tentative List
Tarsus, Mersin
Tarsus is a historic city in south-central Turkey, 20 km inland from the Mediterranean Sea. It is part of the Adana-Mersin Metropolitan Area, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in Turkey with a population of 2.75 million...
, Mersin Province
Mersin Province
The Mersin Province is a province in southern Turkey, on the Mediterranean coast between Antalya and Adana. The provincial capital is the city of Mersin and the other major town is Tarsus, birthplace of St Paul...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
Tarsus and the churches
Tarsus, in CiliciaCilicia
In antiquity, Cilicia was the south coastal region of Asia Minor, south of the central Anatolian plateau. It existed as a political entity from Hittite times into the Byzantine empire...
of the antiquity
Ancient Near East
The ancient Near East was the home of early civilizations within a region roughly corresponding to the modern Middle East: Mesopotamia , ancient Egypt, ancient Iran The ancient Near East was the home of early civilizations within a region roughly corresponding to the modern Middle East: Mesopotamia...
, what is now South Turkey, was an important city during both ancient and medieval ages. The tombs of Daniel
Daniel
Daniel is the protagonist in the Book of Daniel of the Hebrew Bible. In the narrative, when Daniel was a young man, he was taken into Babylonian captivity where he was educated in Chaldean thought. However, he never converted to Neo-Babylonian ways...
of the Bible and Al-Ma'mun
Al-Ma'mun
Abū Jaʿfar Abdullāh al-Māʾmūn ibn Harūn was an Abbasid caliph who reigned from 813 until his death in 833...
(786-833), the caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
, are in Tarsus. Saint Paul was a resident of Tarsus. He was born and lived in Tarsus as a Jew named Saul and after converting, made a number of missionary journeys during which he was arrested and beheaded by emperor Nero
Nero
Nero , was Roman Emperor from 54 to 68, and the last in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Nero was adopted by his great-uncle Claudius to become his heir and successor, and succeeded to the throne in 54 following Claudius' death....
of Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
in AD 64 or 67 on the 29th of June. After Saint Paul's death, Tarsus continued as an important city of the area. It became a part of the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
, the Abbasid Empire, the Seljuk Empire, the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia , also known as the Cilician Armenia, Kingdom of Cilician Armenia or New Armenia, was an independent principality formed during the High Middle Ages by Armenian refugees fleeing the Seljuk invasion of Armenia...
, the Ramadanids and the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
.
It is not known if there had been any churches established by Paul in Tarsus. But in 1704 P.Lucas wrote that there was Roman style church which had been built by Saint Paul. V.Langlois who visited Tarsus in 1851 confirmed this. In his words, thick walls which resemble Roman style, windows which are narrower in outer side than inside, and thick columns are noticeable. But no other records exist to back this claim .
According to records there was also a Cathedral named Hagia Sophia in the city during medieval ages, in which Leon I of Rubenid
Rubenid
The Rubenids or Roupenids were an Armenian dynasty who dominated parts of Cilicia, and who established the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. The dynasty takes its name from its ancestor, the Armenian prince Ruben I...
house was crowned by Konrad Von Wittelsbach
Conrad of Wittelsbach
Conrad of Wittelsbach was the Archbishop of Mainz and Archchancellor of Germany from 20 June 1161 to 1165 and again from 1183 to his death. He was also a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church....
, the Archbishop of Mainz and the representative of Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
, as the king of Cilician Kingdom of Armenia in 1198.
Saint Paul Church
Above mentioned churches didn't survive. But there is a church which is called Saint Paul's Church. According to tradition the building date of the Saint Paul Church is 1102, but in fact it is a newer church and had been built (or rebuilt) much later, in 1862. The entrance to garden is via a decorated gate . The total area of the church building is 460 m2. The longer dimension of the building consists of face stone walls and blind vaults. The auditorium is 19.30 ×17.50 m2 (63.32 x 57.41 ft2 ). In the north east corner stands the belfry. The sides of the central nave window had been decorated by angel and landscape depictions. On the ceiling there are frescos of JesusJesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
in the middle Mathew, Mark, Luke and John at the two sides.
Restoration
The church has been put under protection since 1993 and a restoration work has been carried on during 1998-2000 period. Because of lack of community, regular services are not held. But ceremonies are held for groups of pilgrims. During Saint Pavlos year between 29 June 2008 and 29 June 2009, there was a number of special ceremonies and the closing ceremony of the year was held in Saint Paul's Church in Tarsus.The church and the surroundings are on the UN World Heritage Tentative List