Anamur

It is located on the promontory Cap Anamur which is the southern extremity of the Anatolian Peninsula. The name of the city in the Etruscan/Luwian language is "Annamura". meaning "place of the sacred mother". The name of the city situated on the ancient mountainous Cilicia later became Anamurium. As a result of the excavations on the acropolis, the remains of a temple were unearthed as erected in honour of the mother goddess Anni. This testifies that the area was used as a sanctuary by the peoples of Pamphylia, Isaura and Cilicia. As of the 6th century B.C. on, Anamur expanded down from the acropolis hillsides and became a city of harbour and trade. It was taken by Seleucids followed by Commagenians and then captured by pirates.Towards late 1st century B.C. it was brought under the jurisdiction of the Roman Empire and subordinated to the province of Isaura. In the Byzantine era it was recognized as a sanctuary and promoted to the status of the seat of diocese. In the 12th century the area passed into the hands of the Gagauz Turkomans who came over from Gulnar Tableland. Today, 300 m up the promontory cap Anamur there is an surrounded by city walls. As a result of the excavations, the remains of a theater, bathhouse, basilica, colonnaded street and aqueduct were revealed. Lying on the seaside are the remains of a government building with a square floor plan and 9 seating tiers and a church with a quadrangular floor pfan. The floor of the church is laid with coloured mosaics and next to it are the remains of a bathhouse. The single, two or three storeyed Cilician type house-like tombs in the necropolis, are the most interesting remains in the area. These tombs have several chambers and there are inscriptions and medusa heads carved in relief on the walls of chambers and the outer faces of tombs. 5 km east of the city of Anamur is the Castle of Anamur located on the seaside, surrounded by city walls, built during the Roman era and restored by Karamanogullari in 1450 and still standing completely with the houses, mosques and various rooms inside.Anamur is well-known for its bananas today.