Misis Antique City (Mopsuestia), located in Adana, is one of the cities of the ancient Roman period. The city, which has a history of 7 thousand years, is on the historical Silk Road and by the Ceyhan River. It is 27 km away from Adana and is a second pass after Adana in the region. In the ancient city, there is a bridge where it is rumored that Lokman Hekim lost his medicine of immortality, and a mosaic museum where ancient ruins are exhibited. Known as the “city of immortality”, the city is also rumored to be the place where Karataş Dede’s Tomb, one of the Seven Sleepers, is located. Near the city; There is Şahmaran Castle, which is considered as one of the places where the legend of Şahmaran passes.
The ancient city of Misis, which dates back to the Neolithic Age, is known to have been founded by the Trojan hero Mopsos. The city bears the traces of many civilizations such as Hittite, Macedonia, Slevkos, Assyrians, Roman, Byzantine, Mamluks, Seljuk and Ottoman Empire. There is a mosaic-based basilica, the walls in the acropolis, the bath, aqueducts, stone bridge and the bridge where Lokman Hekim is rumored to have lost his medicine of immortality. Misis Ancient City is a place worth exploring due to its ruins and historical values.
History of Misis Ancient City
Misis Ancient City, one of the historical cities of Çukurova Basin, bears traces of 7000 years of settlement. The history of the ancient city, which is in an important position in terms of regional archeology, is thought to have started with the mound dating back to the Neolithic Age. Although there are different opinions about the founder of the ancient city, it is said that Mopsus, one of the Trojan heroes, may have founded it. Misis; It has been ruled by many cultures throughout history, has been an important center and has left many traces.
The ancient settlement was rebuilt in the 8th century AD during the Abbasid period. It passed to Byzantium in 965 and then was captured by the Anatolian Seljuks in 1082. Later, the Principality of Antioch was ruled by Byzantium and the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. At the end of the 12th century, Cilicia was attached to the Armenian Kingdom. It was captured by the Mamluks at the beginning of the 14th century and became the city where the Yörük tribes living in the region today settled. After 1516, it came under the rule of the Ottoman Empire and was ruled by the Ramazanoğlu Principality for a long time.
In the ancient city of Misis, which was ruled by Ramazanoğulları until 1602, surviving works include a 4th century basilica mosaic floor, a 9-eyed stone bridge, ramparts in the acropolis, aqueducts and the remains of a bath. Havraniye Caravanserai and a single-domed masjid from the Seljuk and Ottoman periods can also be seen in the city. Today, Misis’ name is Yakapınar.
Excavations in the Ancient City
The first surface surveys and excavations in the Misis Ancient City area started in the mound. Between 1956 and 1958, German archaeologist Prof. Dr. As a result of the excavations carried out by Theodor Helmuth Bosser, a domed cistern from the Islamic period and figured depictions on Byzantine pottery were found. During the excavations carried out in 1958, cultural floors, city walls, towers and gates belonging to the Ottoman, Byzantine, Arab and Roman periods were found.
In 1959, mosaics from the 4th century were found in the church to the west of Misis Mound. It is thought that the church belongs to the Roman period and there is even a Roman temple. As a result of the excavations in the center of the mound and on the western slope, walls belonging to the Byzantine and later periods and a water cistern with a brick dome of approximately 6 meters were found. In addition, Arabic tombstones and cooked pottery belonging to the Byzantine period were also found in the church. The ancient city of Misis has been excavated since 2012 and the artifacts found are exhibited in the Adana Archeology Museum.
Bridge of Immortality and Shahmaran Castle
The ancient bridge over the Ceyhan River, also known as the Lokman Hekim Bridge, is one of the important historical structures of the Misis Ancient City. The bridge, which has a history of 1700 years, was built during the reign of Roman Emperor Justinian. The bridge, which is still open to traffic, was damaged in the 1998 earthquake. During this earthquake, the caravanserai and the mosque right next to the bridge were completely destroyed. The bridge was restored and opened to tourism.
Lokman Hekim Legend; It is a legend that Lokman Hekim, a doctor, was involved with plants and learned their language. Flowers told him the cure for immortality and Lokman Hekim wrote them. However, one day, when Gabriel Melek asked for the papers, Lokman Hekim did not give them and Gabriel Melek caused a gust of wind and dropped the papers into the Ceyhan River. After this event, the Ceyhan River became a fertile river and Lokman Hekim realized that there was no such thing as immortality in the world when he saw the silence of the flowers after the papers were lost.
In another legend; Lokman Hekim’s elixir of immortality is half-snake, half-woman. Sahmeran’It describes what he learned from Şahmeran Castle or Yılankale is an ancient castle located 13 km from Ceyhan. It was built by King Levon I during the period of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. The castle is located on a very steep hill, completely dominating the Ceyhan Plain. It is called Şahmeran Castle by the local people.
Yılankale; It was built on a dominant hill on the banks of the Ceyhan River during the Crusades in the 12th century medieval period. The castle allowed to control the plain and the historical Silk Road. In order to reach the square of the castle, which consists of 3 castles inside each other, it is necessary to pass through three gates. Thanks to the portable ladders used between these doors, it is difficult to conquer the castle. The castle, which was abandoned starting from 1357 during the Ramazanoğlu Principality, was called Kovara, while the Turkish traveler Evliya Çelebi named it Shahmaran Castle in the 17th century because of the Shahmaran Legend. The castle, which was named Yılankale in the following years, is within sight of the Anavarza, Tumlu and Kozan Castles. For the article about the legend of Shahmaran CLICK HERE.
