Tarsus

Located on the south coast of Asia Minor 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 (Lesser Armenia) 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.