Cilician Gates

One of the legendary invasion routes in history, the Cilician Gates cross the Taurus Mountains in coastal Turkey, and were used by Alexander the Great, the Crusaders, Turks and assorted others on their way to conquest and loot.

Here is one of the more important historical passes in the history of the world. The pass lies in Southwest Turkey and connects central Asia Minor with the coast and leads toward Syria and Palestine. A river runs through it. The passage is through the Taurus Mountains that run parallel to the Mediterranean Sea. Alexander the Great, Xenophon and his Ten Thousand, St. Paul, the Crusaders, Turks, etc. have all gone through the Gates. It is a narrow gorge with only a dirt track in the olden days. No wagons or chariots could pass the Gates. The path was too narrow and treacherous. The Turks finally built a railroad in the early 20th Century and it is allegedly one of the marvels of modern railroad construction. Please go to http://www.trainsofturkey.com/cilician_g.htm to see some of the views.