Soli, Cilicia

Soloi ( Soli ) ancient city, which located 14 km west of Mersin on the edge of the sea,founded by  Rhodesian colonists in 7th century B.C and they  named the city as Soloi which means Sun.

When the Persians captured the Cilicia, city became an important port city and on behalf of King Darius coin minted in the city.

City was prospered in the next centuries during the Reign of Macedonians via the commercial relations built with Cyprus and Egypt.

In the last years of Kingdom Cilicia started to be  dominated by pirates. Roman government,in order to put an end to the activities of the Mediterranean pirates, commissioned Pompeius in 64 BC. Pompeius cleared the Pirates from Italy,Greece, Cilicia and  Soloi. To the memory of great operation carried out by Pompeius, Soloi city was rebuilt and named as Pompeipolis.

City was completely destroyed by earthquakes occurred in 527 and never reached its sucessfull days as in the past.

Today 41 colums with corinthian capitals, Hammams, aquaducts and an ancient harbour can be seen and visited.