Anazarbus

Anazarbus is an extensive ancient ruined city in northeastern Cilicia, roughly 30 kilometres northeast of Adana, and a UNESCO World Heritage candidate since 2014. The site accumulated identities across the centuries — Roman Caesarea ad Anazarbum, Byzantine Justinianopolis, Arabic ʿAin Zarba, and Crusader Naversa — each layer reflecting a shift in regional power. A medieval fortress crowns the dramatic Anavarza rock that rises above the ruins, while a Roman triumphal arch, an aqueduct, and the outline of a stadium remain visible at the base of the plateau. The rock's brooding presence inspired Turkish novelist Yaşar Kemal, who wove it into several of his works. Today the largely unexcavated site receives few visitors, offering an unusually unmediated encounter with the deep, layered past of southern Anatolia.