Soli-Pompeiopolis Ancient City
The Persian domination in Anatolia, which started from the middle of the 6th century BC and lasted until Alexander the Great, is also valid for Soli. However, the minting of coins in the city in the 5th century BC reflects that the city preserved its autonomy to some extent. The port city of Soli lived a bright period during the Hellenistic Period when it was under Seleucid rule. With the weakening of the Seleucid administration in the 1st century BC, difficult times also begin for Soli. The King of Armenia, Tigranes, plundered the city and forced his people to migrate. With the reforms made by the Roman commander Pompeius in 67 BC to put an end to the confusion in the region, some of the pirates on the mountain were settled in Soli, whose population was decreasing. The name of the city, which started with Soloi in Greek and used as Soli in Latin, was changed to Pompeiopolis (City of Pompeius) after this event. With the Roman administration, the city regained its vitality. During his trip to Anatolia in 130 AD, Roman Emperor Hadrian also came to Cilicia, now a province of Rome, and gave financial support to the port works in Soli. Soli was an episcopacy center during the Christian era. However, it was damaged by a great earthquake in 525 and faced Arab raids in the 7th century. Although not reached today, European travelers who came to Soli in the 19th century talk about the presence of structures such as a theatre, temple, bath and Necropolis in the city.
