Anavarza (Anazarbus) Ancient City

Anavarza — ancient Anazarbus, later a capital of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia — occupies one of the most dramatically sited archaeological landscapes in southern Turkey, about 70 kilometres northeast of Adana near the town of Kozan. A volcanic rocky ridge rises sharply from the Çukurova plain, crowned by a well-preserved Armenian castle, while the lower city extends across flat farmland at its foot in an extensive spread of fallen columns, mosaic floor sections, inscribed blocks, bathhouses and theatre ruins. In the Roman imperial period, Anazarbus was a prosperous capital of the province of Cilicia Secunda, and its remains include one of the widest and longest colonnaded streets of the Roman world, a triumphal arch with three substantial surviving piers, a stadium, a theatre with visible seating tiers and multiple bath complexes of different periods. After the Arab invasions the city became a critical frontier site, and the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia later rebuilt and occupied the ridge castle under the Rubenid and Hethumid dynasties in the 12th and 13th centuries. The castle retains substantial curtain walls, square towers, cisterns and a main gatehouse. Climbing to the castle from the lower city takes approximately 30 to 40 minutes on a steep rocky path and is rewarded with sweeping views over the Çukurova plain, the Taurus foothills and the Ceyhan River valley. The site is managed as an open archaeological zone and is freely accessible. A small local museum in the village of Dilekkaya displays finds from the excavations. Allow 2 to 2.5 hours for both the lower city and the castle climb.