Mopsuestia

Coordinates: 36°57′28″N 35°37′26″E / 36.95778°N 35.62389°E / 36.95778; 35.62389
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Mopsuestiaa
Μοψουεστία
Pyramus
Mopsuestia is located in Turkey
Mopsuestia
Shown within Turkey
Alternative nameMopsos, Seleucia on the Pyramus, Hadriana, Decia, al-Maṣṣīṣah, Mamistra, Misis, Yakapınar
LocationAdana Province, Turkey
RegionCilicia
Coordinates36°57′28″N 35°37′26″E / 36.95778°N 35.62389°E / 36.95778; 35.62389
TypeSettlement

Mopsuestia and Mopsuhestia (

Byzantine Greek: Mamista, Manistra, Mampsista; Arabic: al-Maṣṣīṣah; Armenian: Msis, Mises, Mam(u)estia; modern Yakapınar) is an ancient city in Cilicia Campestris on the Pyramus River (now the Ceyhan River) located approximately 20 km (12 mi) east of ancient Antiochia in Cilicia (present-day Adana, southern Turkey). From the city's harbor, the river is navigable to the Mediterranean Sea
, a distance of over 40 km (24 mi).

The 1879 book A Latin Dictionary, the 1898 book Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia and the 1920 La Cilicie mention that the city at that time was called Missis or Messis,[1][2][3][4] but in 1960 the name changed to Yakapınar.[5]

History

The founding of this city is attributed to the seer

Latin: Seleucia ad Pyramum), but gave it up at the time of the Roman conquest. Coins and inscriptions show that under Hadrian it was called Hadriana, under Decius Decia, and so forth. Constantius II built there a magnificent bridge over the Pyramus (Malalas, Chronographia, XIII; P.G., XCVII, 488) afterwards restored by Justinian (Procopius
, De Edificiis, V. 5) and has been restored again recently.

Near the city a battle between the

Antiochus XI and Philip I destroyed Mopsuestia as an act of revenge and their armies fought those of Antiochus X, but they lost.[9]

Christianity seems to have been introduced very early into Mopsuestia, and during the 3rd century, there is mention of a bishop, Theodorus, the adversary of Paul of Samosata. Other famous residents of the early Christian period in the city's history include Saint Auxentius (d. 360), and Theodore, bishop from 392–428, the teacher of Nestorius. The bishopric is included in the Catholic Church's list of titular sees.[10] Along with much of Cilicia, the region was wrested from Roman control by the Arabs in the late 630s.

In 684 the Emperor

John I Tzimisces in 964, but was taken the following year after a long and difficult siege by Nicephorus Phocas.[12]

Mosaics depicting Noah's Ark in the Misis Mosaic Museum

Mopsuestia then numbered 200,000 inhabitants, some of whom were Muslim, and the Byzantines made efforts to re-Christianize the city. In the early 1090s, Turkish forces overran the town, but were expelled in 1097 by

Bertrandon reported that the city was ruled by the Muslims and was largely destroyed. In 1515 Mopsuestia, and the whole of Cilicia was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire by Sultan Selim I. Since then it has steadily declined and became the small village of Misis. Misis was renamed Yakapınar in the 1960s. Only fragments of the medieval fortifications survive today. However, an etching of the circuit walls and towers was made in the mid-19th century.[13] The Misis Mosaic Museum
was founded in 1959 to exhibit the mosaics found in the area, including the famous "Samson Mosaic".

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ^ Harry Thurston Peck, Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities (1898), Mopsuestia
  2. ^ Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary, Mopsuestia
  3. ^ Vailhé, Siméon (1911). "Mopsuestia" . Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 10.
  4. ^ Normand Robert, La Cilicia. In: Annals of Geography. 1920, vol. 29, No. 162. p.p. 426-451
  5. ^ Missis and its Roman bridge
  6. ^ GREEK ANTHOLOGY, § 9.698
  7. ^ Procopius, On Buildings, §5.5.1
  8. ^ a b Stephanus of Byzantium, Ethnica, § M459.1
  9. ^ Eusebius, Chronography, 97-98
  10. ), p. 933
  11. ^ .
  12. ISBN 978-0-8028-9017-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  13. ^ Langlois, V. (1861). Voyage dans la Cilicie et dans les montagnes du Taurus, exécuté pendant les années 1852-1853. Paris. p. 451.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  14. ^ Missis and its Roman bridge
  15. ^ Athenaeus, Deipnosophists, §6.234b

Sources

External links