showing how sophisticated the Çukurova mosaic was. The museum was enriched Discover with other mosaics and architectural com- ponents that were brought from other ruins and Archeology Museum.” The mosaic floor is “from the 3rd Cen- Misis tury AD Late Roman period,” according to the website istanbulportal.com. “After the The city of Misis, once known as , mosaics had been repaired and cleaned they was one of the main stops on the Silk Road were opened to the public as a museum in and a place of settlement from the time of 1959. The mosaic depicts the domestic and the Hittites right through the Ottoman peri- wild animals, which Noah took into his ark. od. At the one-story Misis Mozaik Museum Flower and geometric designs enhance the you can see a mosaic of beauty of the mosaic.” Entrance Fee Noah’s Ark along with a History of Misis - 5 TL for the sampling of other ruins Museum from the Roman, Hit- “Misis antique city was part of the historical Getting There - tite, and Ottoman civili- About 30 minutes Silk Road. The history of Misis begins with zations that dwelled in from . A Misis Mound which dates back to Neolitic . The city also has perfect day trip to Age,” according to the Republic of Turkey go on your own. a and a Ministry of Culture & Tourism. “Misis is small castle. Head east on said to be founded by Mopsos, one of the The Republic of Tur- D-400 for about heroes of Troy. It was captured by Hititians, 15 minutes until key Ministry of Culture & Assyrians, Macedonians and Selevkos and you see a brown Tourism says, “The muse- sign. Turn right. it became an important place in Roman and um was found to preserve Stay on that road Byzantine ages. It was reconstructed during mosaics excavated near about another Abbasian period in A.D. 8th century.” 15-20 minutes Misis Mound in 1956. The The Virual Tourist website describes the until you see a animals pictured are be- city of Misis as “on the caravan route that yellow sign and lieved to be taken to the the museum on came from China, India and Persia. Called ship by Noah. These mo- your left. Mopsuestia or Mopsus or Mamistra, Misis is saics existed at the bottom Physical Difficulty an ancient city of Cilicia Campestris on the of a church belonging to - EASY and stroller Pyramus (also Pyramos, now the Ceyhan in the forth century. It was restored by the Read More Byzantine era. The ani- friendly. Nehri) river located approximately 20 km Byzantine emperor Justinian I in the sixth Turkey Minis- mals are defined vividly east of present-day Adana. Among the re- century. (From Wikipedia the free online en- try of Culture and is a prime example mains of Roman times, the most interesting cyclopedia.) & Tourism is the elegant mosaic of the 4th cen- According to legend, the secret to im- http://www. tury A.D representing Noah’s Ark.” mortality is hid here. The in-flight magazine kultur.gov. Skylife, for Turkish Airlines, writes “The Is- tr/EN/bel- The Misis Roman Bridge lamic sage Luqman the Wise, who dispensed ge/2-28863/ medicinal potions he concocted from plants, museums- Built in the 4th century, the nine- discovered the secret of immortality one day and-antique- arch Misis Bridge, is a Roman relic in a flower that grew in the mountains. As cities-ruins. of the ancient city. In the middle he was dashing across the bridge in jubila- html ages Mopsuestia was a big city and tion, the scrap of paper on which he had the bridge was built on one of the noted the formula was torn from his hand Photos by Kelly Bortles © most active trade roads to east. It by the wind and flew into the Ceyhan River. was commissioned by the Roman Ever since, the secret to immortality has re- emperor Flavius Julius Constanti- mained concealed in Çukurova’s unparal-

Photo by Erhan Cirik © nus (better known as Constantius II) leled beauty and the diversity of its flora.” Outdoor Recreation 676-6044 39fss-odr.blogspot.com 39fss.com Discover Misis