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Tarsus Museum

Tarsus Museum

Tarsus's archaeology and ethnography museum, with finds from the Chalcolithic to the Byzantine period and a section on Çukurova traditions, metalwork and weaving.

About the museum

The Tarsus Museum first opened in 1970 in the Kubat Pasha Madrasah, and since then it has moved between buildings. It was relocated to the 75th Year Cultural Centre Complex around the year 2000, and later it was brought into its current building, known as the Old Courthouse. The present layout is an archaeological section and an ethnographic section.

The archaeology section covers the Chalcolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages, and the Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods. The objects reached the museum by purchase and through archaeological excavations in the Tarsus region, so they give a long view of one of Cilicia's most important cities, a place linked with Saint Paul, Antony and Cleopatra.

The Ethnography Hall shows objects from Tarsus and its surroundings that belong to Çukurova culture. The metalwork, weaving and other everyday items reflect the social, religious and philosophical beliefs of the people who lived in Tarsus. Together the two sections give a good first overview of the city before you visit its other sights.

Tips

  • St. Paul's Well and the St. Paul Memorial Museum are both nearby in old Tarsus.
  • Turkish citizens can use the Müzekart here. Check the official page for current hours.

Questions

When is Tarsus Museum open?

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

Can I buy tickets for Tarsus Museum 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 Tarsus Museum, buy at the ticket office or on the Ministry’s official e-ticket system.

Where is Tarsus Museum?

Tarsus Museum is in Mersin, Türkiye — Kızılmurat Mahallesi, Atatürk Caddesi, No:28 Tarsus/MERSİN.

Nearby

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Silifke Asthma Cave

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Kızkalesi (Maiden's Castle) and Korykos

The coastal ruins of ancient Korykos at Kızkalesi, Mersin: a land castle, a necropolis valley and the sea castle offshore, layered with Roman, Byzantine and Armenian history.

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Mersin Museum

A modern museum near the seafront in Mersin, opened in its new building in 2017, taking visitors through a time tunnel from prehistory to the Republic.

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St. Paul's Well, Tarsus

A deep well in a courtyard in old Tarsus, long revered as part of the house of Saint Paul, next to the excavated walls of a building said to be his birthplace.

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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.

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