Anchiale () or Anchialeia was a historic city of ancient Cilicia now a part of modern Mersin, Turkey. It was inhabited during the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine eras.
History The main informant about Anchiale was Strabo. According to Strabo the city had been constructed by Sardanapalus, the last king of Assyria. Strabo further claims that Sardanapalus' tomb is in Anchiale. The city was conquered by Alexander the Great just before the battle of Issus. Mythology Some mythology traditions posit an eponymous ruler with the same name founded the city.
Geography The exact location of Anchiale is debatable.Mersin Valiliği: Mersin Ören yerleri, Kaleleri, Müzeleri, İstanbul, 2009, , p 32 Like most historians British captain Francis Beaufort identifies Anchiale with Karaduvar, now a neighbourhood of Mersin at . But he adds that the amount of ruins in Karaduvar is too few for an important ancient city.Sir Francis Beaufort:Karamanya, (tr:Ali Neyzi-Doğan Türker), Akdeniz medeniyetleri Araştırma Enstitüsü, , p.265
Ruins As Beaufort points out there are only a few ruins. There are a tumulus, several house ruins and an aqueduct from the original city. Bath mosaic is from Roman times.
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