The 5 Gates of Cilicia
- Jason Borges
- Jul 16
- 4 min read
The Cilician plain in southeast Turkey is a fertile strip of land that frames the northeast corner of the Mediterranean Sea. In the past, the region was an important transition zone because it connected Anatolia (modern Turkey) and Syria (modern Arabian Peninsula). In the winter, when the Mediterranean was closed to sea travel, the only land route from Mesopotamia in the east to Greece and Rome in the west ran through Cilicia. This gave the area strategic importance for empires throughout the times of the Ptolemies and Seleucids, the Romans and Persians, and the Byzantines and Arabs.
The triangular strip of land is hemmed by the Mediterranean in the south, the Taurus Mountains in the north, and the Amanus Mountains in the east. Thus, there is a limited number of mountain passes for entering and exiting the Cilician Plain. These are typically called “gates” (Greek pylae). A fortified position akin to ancient city gates was constructed at the passes, plus the natural terrain resembled a set of gates with two peaks on each side. This article identifies the five main gates accessing the Cilician Plain.
1. Cilician Gates
The most famous gates are the Cilician Gates (Gülek Boğazı), a mountain pass connecting the Cilician plain to the Anatolian plateau. They are located some 40 kilometers north of Tarsus and 5 kilometers south of Akçatekir along the modern expressway, here on Google Maps. A previous post provides a detailed description and history of the Cilician Gates: https://www.biblicalturkey.org/post/the-cilician-gates-history-and-geography
2. (Lower) Cilician Gates
This second set of “Cilician Gates” forms the southern entrance into Cilicia. It is located in Sariseki, 5 kilometers north of Iskenderun, where the Amanus Mountains descend directly into the sea, thus funneling traffic along the coast. In Roman times, this pass (and not the Syrian Gates) formed the border between the regions of Cilicia and Syria.
Part of the gates remain along the coast. On Google Maps, this is referred to as Jonah’s Pillar (Yunus Sütunu) because of the local tradition that the prophet Jonah beached here after being spewed from the whale. To access the structure, you stop and park along the coastal road (D817, not the main expressway) adjacent to Jonah’s Pillar, then scurry up the embankment. A modern railroad line prevents you from accessing the monument directly, but you can see it from 50 feet (15 meters) away. The remains appear to be the western half of the gate complex, as a course of visible stones below reveals the previous existence of a Roman road. The eastern tower was leveled to make the railroad tract.
The second structure at the (lower) Cilician Gates is the Ancient Sariseki Castle (Antik Sariseki Kalesi on Google Maps). The site shows some archaeological evidence from the Hellenistic and Roman eras, perhaps as an outpost or watchtower. It was developed into a full castle in the Byzantine and Crusader eras when a key defensive structure was needed here. The Arabic inscription above the entrance tower attributes the construction to Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in 1546.
To reach the castle, you must be traveling northbound on the D817 and turn right off the road. Do not take the first asphalt path to your right, but continue past the abandoned buildings. The road curves right and ascends straight to the castle.
3. Amanian Gates (Amanikai Pylai)
The Amanian Gates (Turkish Bahçe Geçiti) was a strategic mountain pass on the eastern end of the Cilician plain through the Amanus Mountains (modern Nur Dağları) into northern Syria. It is just west of modern Bahçe, Osmaniye, here on Google Maps. The ancient pass was narrow and easily defensible, making it vital for controlling access into Cilicia from the south. In Roman and Byzantine times, fortifications and waystations guarded the passage. Today, the modern tunnel and railway follow the corridor. To my knowledge, there are no ancient remains.
4. Cilician-Amanian Gates (Amanikai Pulai/Ciliciae Portae)
Yes, the names get confusing! These gates are not located at the border of Cilicia, but they are in the middle of Cilicia. They are near the Toros Asphalt plant, which is 5 km south of Sarımazı, Ceyhan/Adana, here on Google Maps. The GPS coordinates are 36°55'15"N, 35°57'59"E. To access the site, turn west at this location, which is opposite the main entrance into the Toras factory and marked by a brown sign that says “ADSIZ HABERLERI” (Nameless Ruins). After 500 meters, the road leads through a tunnel under the highway. You can drive through the tunnel in a smaller car. The gates themselves are 500 meters past the tunnel on that dirt road. Both towers are well preserved, with remains of the original road surface between them. The gates consist of rock and mortar construction with a black-basalt facing.
5. Syrian Gates (Syriai Pylai)
The Syrian Gates (Belen Pass) are technically not in Cilicia or at its border, but they are famous and close enough to Cilicia to deserve a mention. They are located on the southeast edge of Halilbey, Belen, here on Google Maps. The pass can be confusing because the modern D817 highway continues to climb after the pass. However, you can see where the ancient route would have continued directly south into the valley below, likely along one of the current village roads. To my knowledge, there are no archaeological remains at the Syrian Gates.