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St. Paul Memorial Museum, Tarsus

St. Paul Memorial Museum, Tarsus

A three-aisled church of 1850 in Tarsus, now a museum in memory of Saint Paul, with ceiling frescoes of Christ and the four Evangelists and a bell tower in the corner.

About the museum

The St. Paul Memorial Museum is a church built in 1850 by the Orthodox Arab-Rum community of Tarsus. It served other purposes until 1993, and in 1994 the building was assigned to the Ministry of Culture and named after the apostle, who was born in this city.

Restoration work was carried out on the building and around it between 1997 and 2001. As part of the landscaping project, the Ministry also expropriated the properties in the surrounding area. The works were completed in 2001, and the site was opened to visitors as the St. Paul Memorial Museum.

The church has a rectangular plan with three aisles. On the ceiling of the central aisle are frescoes of Jesus Christ and the four Evangelists, John, Matthew, Mark and Luke, together with an eye motif and a bird. On either side of the window above the apse you will find landscape scenes and angels. A bell tower stands at the north-eastern corner of the church. Groups of visitors, Turkish and foreign, sometimes hold religious services here, which is why the place still feels like a working sacred space, not only a museum.

Tips

  • St. Paul's Well is a short walk away and is normally visited on the same trail.
  • Turkish citizens can use the Müzekart here. Dress modestly, since the building is a church that groups still use for worship.

Questions

When is St. Paul Memorial Museum, Tarsus open?

According to the Ministry’s listing it opens at 08:00 and closes at 19:00 (last entry 18:30). Closed: Monday.

Can I buy tickets for St. Paul Memorial Museum, Tarsus on this site?

No. This site sells no tickets. Topkapı Palace, the Basilica Cistern, Hagia Sophia and Dolmabahçe Palace are sold on our sister sites; for St. Paul Memorial Museum, Tarsus, buy at the ticket office or on the Ministry’s official e-ticket system.

Where is St. Paul Memorial Museum, Tarsus?

St. Paul Memorial Museum, Tarsus is in Mersin, Türkiye — Caminur Mahallesi, Abdi İpekçi Cad. No:14, 33440.

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