Uzuncaburç occupies the site of ancient Olba/Diocaesarea, a hill town of temples and colonnades in the pine-covered hills above Silifke, and it is one of the least crowded major ruin sites on this coast. Visitors walk a monumental city gate, a colonnaded street still lined with standing columns, the Temple of Zeus Olbios, and a small theater, with the modern village's houses built directly among the stones. The site takes two to three hours on foot and rewards going slowly, since there is no shade and little signage.
| Distance | 115 km from Mersin center |
|---|---|
| Travel time | 2 hours by car; 2.5-3 hours by bus + dolmuş |
| Getting there | Car: Mersin → D400 west to Silifke (85 km), then north 30 km on mountain road. Public: dolmuş to Silifke (₺70, 1.5h) then summer dolmuş to Uzuncaburç (₺30-40, 1h). |
| Address | Uzuncaburç Antik Kenti, 33960 Silifke/Mersin, Türkiye |
How to get there
- Car (2h each way, most flexible)
- Bus to Silifke + summer dolmuş (₺100-110, ~$2.17-2.38 total)
Location
Uzuncaburç Antik Kenti, 33960 Silifke/Mersin, Türkiye
36.6503, 33.9124 View on map
Highlights
- Temple of Zeus Olbios - one of Anatolia's oldest and best-preserved Corinthian temples, with many columns still upright
- Colonnaded Street - the main paved avenue of the ancient city, flanked by rows of columns
- Monumental City Gate - a five-arched Hellenistic gate marking the town's ceremonial entrance
- Temple of Tyche - a smaller temple near the market area, dedicated to the city's fortune goddess
- Nymphaeum - the ruined public fountain house that once supplied the town's water