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Tarsus

Ancient name
Tarsus
Modern name
Tarsus
Modern country
Turkey
Located on the south coast of Anatolia at the mouth of the Berdan River (between Curco and Laiazzo), Tarsus is perhaps best known in a Biblical context as the birthplace of Saul of Tarsus (later Saint Paul the Apostle). Its location was important for both commerce and regional defense, and it served as the capital of the Armenian kingdom of Cilicia in the 11th and 12th centuries, but the gradual silting up of its harbor led to the rise of later medieval ports such as Laiazzo. Campbell #1473.
Coordinates
36.91, 34.9

The toponym Tarsus appears in La Sfera in the following places:

Click on any citation to view it in context in the edition.

Map of the location P137

Variant spellings of Tarsus in Sfera manuscripts

Variant Manuscripts
carso Ricc1
Carso Wie1
farso Magl4
tarsa Laur5, Magl2, Pnc5
Tarso Cap1, Clas2, Luc2, Med1, NB, Par2, Parm2
tarso Bal, Fn9, He2, He3, Marc1, Pad1, Per2, Ricc15, Ricc8, Yale4
tarsso Laur3
Tarzo Fo
taso ME2
tta[r]so Ashb7
ttarso Ashb7
turso Par1
Suggested citation
Beneš, Carrie. “Tarsus.” Gregorio Dati’s La sfera = The Globe: A Digital Edition, February 10, 2026. https://la-sfera-staging-a8db029690a6.herokuapp.com/toponyms/tarsus/.