Karakabaklı was an agricultural settlement that developed in the Taurus mountains, in the region of Cilicia. It flourished in the late-Roman and early Byzantine periods. The most impressive buildings that can be seen during a visit to Karakabaklı are: a two-storey villa, two basilicas, two monumental gates, and a well-preserved fragment of a Roman road.
In the centre of Silifke, there are modest remains of an ancient temple. Most likely, it was dedicated to Zeus, known in the Roman pantheon as Jupiter. Now, the ruins are known as the Temple of Storks because these birds have built a nest on top of the only standing column of the building.
Among the innumerable places of historical interest, located in the Taurus Mountains in the vicinity of Silifke, Diocesarea seems to be the most significant, and at the same time - the most beautiful one. The remains of an important religious sanctuary stand on the grounds of the humble village of Uzuncaburç. In the ancient times, it was the centre of worship of Zeus Olbios. It attracted pilgrims from afar and remained in the custody of the inhabitants of the nearby town of Olba. The meaning of Diocaesarea sanctuary can be likened to the role the temple in Didyma served in relation to the city of Miletus, or the oracle in Claros - for the residents of the Ionian colonies on the coast of the Aegean Sea.
Softa Castle (tr. Softa Kalesi) is a mysterious fortress rising above the Mediterranean coast, 15 km east from the famous Mamure Castle in Anamur. In contrast to that fortress, Softa Castle is virtually inaccessible to the public. Visiting it requires the skills of a mountain goat while climbing to the top of the steep hill overgrown with thorny shrubs. Getting to the Castle of Fanatics, as this is the translation of its Turkish name, is an expression of sightseeing madness.
The tell of Sultantepe, situated in Şanlıurfa Province of southeastern Anatolia, is a Late Assyrian archaeological site. Some researchers identify it with Huzirina, an ancient temple-complex, but this conclusion is not well supported by archaeological evidence.
