Following the Footprints of the Emperors Tarsus
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FOLLOWING THE FOOTPRINTS OF THE EMPERORS TA R S U S JANUARY/2016 PARTICIPANT SCHOOLS (Turkey) IMKB Sehit Umut Sami Sensoy Anadolu Lisesi (Bulgaria) SOU “Hristo Botev” (Germany)Berufskolleg am Eichholz (Macedonia) Secondary Municipal School Taki Daskalo Bitola (Romania) Scoala Gimnaziala I.L. Caragiale Tulcea (Spain) Colegio Virgen de la Rosa PROGRAMME OUR AIMS PRESENTATIONS TO REDUCE FEELING OF PREJUDICE OLYMPIC GAMES TOWARDS PEOPLE DIFFERENT FROM SEMINAR AND WORKSHOP ON YOU CREATIVITY AND TEAM-WORK TO DEVELOP COMMUNICIATION, CULTURAL VISIT TO MERSİN, COLLOBORATION AND COOPERATION SİLİFKE AND CAPPODOCIA SKILLS HAVE YOU HEARD? ABOUT TARSUS After The Church of Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the most important church, for Christians, St. Paul Church,is in Tarsus. The Ancient Road in Tarsus has a sewer system Tarsus was first mentioned in historical record in Akkadian texts of the Neo-Assyrian era as Tarsisi. Tarsus was the principal city of Cilicia. In Ancient times, Tarsus had a population of about 450.000 and remained as the largest city in the world for a long time. And also, the schools of Tarsus rivaled those of Athens and Alexandria and Tarsus library held about 200.000 books. The oldest tin mine was found in Göltepe, 60 miles south of Tarsus AND TURKEY The first human-built holy place is in Göbeklitepe, Turkey. It is about12.000 years old. The first ever Christian to be built by man is in Turkey The oldest known human settlement is in Catalhoyuk, Turkey (7th Millenium B.C.) Santa Claus was born in Antalya, Turkey. Turkey is the birthplace of historical figures such as Aesop, Homer and St. Paul The First Ecumenical Council was held in Iznik, Turkey. Writing was first used by people in ancient Anatolia. The first clay tablets in the ruins of Assyrian Karum (Merchant Colony) date back to 1950 B.C The first recorded international treaty in the world was the Treaty of Kadesh between the Hittite and Egyptian Empires, Hattusilis III and Ramses II, in c.1275 BC In 640 BC, for the first time in history, coins made of electrum were used by the Lydi- an king Croesus in Sardis, in Aegean region of Turkey. Noah’s Ark landed on in Turkey Legendary city of Troy is in Turkey. Julius Caesar proclaimed his celebrated words, “Veni, Vidi, Vici (I came, I saw, I conqu- ered)” in Turkey when he defeated the Pontus, a formidable kingdom in the Black Sea region of Turkey The number of species of flowers in Turkey is approximately 9,000, of which 3,000 are endemic. In Europe there are 11,500 species. According to the figures of 2000, there are about 9,000 bird species (Aves) in the world, of which 453 are in Turkey. Turkey is responsbile for 80% of the world’s hazelnut exports Turks introduced tulip, cherry and coffe to Europe. There is no desert in Turkey and there are no natice camels. TARSUS CITY OF LEGENDS, MYTHS AND RELIGIONS ST PAUL One of the most outstanding pioneers of the newly established Church was Paul f Tarsus, born of Jewish parents, a Pharisee as for the Law, a staunch and faultless follower of the paternal traditions to which he was introdu- ced by Gamaliel, one of the most famous Rabbis in Jerusalem at that time, he persecuted with no respite those whom he considered a threat for the Jewish religion. On the way to Damascus, with letters from the High Priest to arrest and imprison men and women who professed this new faith, he was struck by a heavenly light, and falling to the ground, he heard a voice telling him: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” A short dialogue followed, and Saul was himself converted to the faith in Christ he had so far persecuted. From now on, Saul, the persecutor, henceforth called Paul, become one of the greatest preachers of the Good News, the Apostle of the gentiles. PROPHET DANIEL He lived during the reign of the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II and was renowned for his power of soothsaying. According to the story, Nebuchadnezzar was unsettled by a dream in which he learnt that a Jewish boy would dethro- ne him, and so decrees that all males born to the Jews should be killed. When Daniel was born, his family left him in a cave where he brought up bu a lion and lioness. In his youth, there was another period where the minorities were persecueted and he saved the Jews from being enslaved by his scholarliness and predictions. He is revered as a prophet who bestows many blessings. He is coun- ted amongst the Jewish Prophets of the Torah and as being a descendant of the Prophet David. SEVEN SLEEPERS Eshab-ı Kehf, which was depicted in Kehf section of the Koran, is also known as “Seven Sleepers Cave” in public. One can enter the cave, which is sacred for both Muslims and Christians, by descending the stairs consisting of 15-20 steps. According to a legend, “Seven Sleepers” refers to a group of seven youths who escaped a persecution of Christians being conducted during the reign of the Roman emperor Decius. Yemliha, Mekseline, Mis- lina, Mernuş, Sazenuş, Tebernuş and Kefeştetayuş, who escaped from torture since they believed in one God, hid inside a cave and fell into a deep sleep with a dog (Kıtmir) along with them. The people, who eventually realized that they were in the cave, weaved the gate of the cave, leaving them to death. One day, the Seven Sleepers awoke, imagining that they had slept one day, and sent Yemliha to Tarsus to buy food. Upon arriving in the city, Yemliha was astounded to find the city completely changed; and when he wanted to buy a bread, the baker said the coins he had were not valid anymore. Yemliha immediately turned back to the cave and told it to his friends. They eventually understood that they actually slept for 309 years. Not knowing what to do, the Seven Sleepers finally fell into an eternal sleep. ŞAHMERAN Thousands of years ago, there were wise snakes living in the underground. Their names iare maran and they are extraordinarily intelligent and caring. They live in peace. The queen of the marans is called Shahmaran (sometimes spelled Shamaran or Shameran). She is all-knowing, beautiful, and leads with grace. A young wood-seller named Cemshab is the first human to see the marans. He is exploring a cave with full of honey with friends; but they abandon him in order to take more honey. Alone, Cemshab sees an unusually light-filled hole in the back of the cave. He pulls away the rocks and finds deep within the cave is a magnificent garden. He crawl in, and is surrounded with light, flowers, and snakes. One of the snakes is colored milky-white, Shahmaran, she is the most beautiful. He gains her trust, staying to live for many years in the underground garden. One day after many years, he decides he would like to see his family again. So Shahmaran helps him leave, provided that he promise not to tell anyone about their underground home. He keeps his word for long time. But one day Sultan of land get sick. The Vizier says that only cure is eating meat of Shahmaran, to acquire her youth and wisdom. Word gets out that Cemshab knows where to find her. He resists, but then shows them the way. Betrayed, the wise Shahmaran says to Cehmab: “make me boil in an earthenware dish. Let the sultan eat my meat and make vizier drink my boiled water.” When that happens, the Vizier dies, and the Sultan keep living. Meanwhile, Cemshab become vizier. According to this version of the legend, the snakes don’t yet know that their leader, the all-knowing, wise, and beautiful Shahmaran, has been murdered. When the day comes that they find out, all the snakes will occupy Tarsus CLEOPATRA’S GATE The only remaining gate of the rampart walls is the main entrance which was on the west of the historical city. It is known as either the “Sea Gate” due to its proximity to the port or as the Silifke Gate because in its time it was the entrance that started journeys to the most important cities of Selucia. In travel guides of the 19th C. it is referred to as “St. Paul’s Gate”. Studies into period in which it was built have revealed that the material employed come form the end of the Byzantine Period or from the Abbaisids. There is evidence that there was an earlier gate on the site of the pre- sent day gate. It is a single-arched structure with a hieght of 8.50 m and a width at its centre of 5.60 m “In order to improve Tarsus the young candidate for emperor, Mark Anthony, undertook in the years after 41 B.C many great construction projects. The arrival in the port of Tarsus of the Egyptian Queen Cleo- patra in her magnificent vessel enamoured her of the local people and, in that moment, Tarsus became the centre and heartbeat of the world. Cleopatra and Mark Anthony immediately fell in love with one anot- her” MERSİN Thecla was a young noble virgin from Iconium who listened to Paul’s “discour- se on virginity”, espoused the teachings and became estranged to her fiancé AYA THECLA Thamyris and her mother. They became concerned Thecla would follow Paul’s demand “one must fear only one God and live in chastity”, and turned to the authorities to punish both Paul and Thecla.