a large city of Asia Minor, the ancient capital of Cilicia, situated on a fertile plain on the right bank of the Cydnus, about six miles from its mouth. The town is partly surrounded by a wall, supposed to be the remains of that erected by Haroun al Raschid. The houses, which seldom exceed one story in height, are flat-roofed, and mostly constructed of hewn stone derived from the ruins of the ancient edifices. The city contains two public baths, a number of mosques, several handsome caravanserais, and a small ancient church. There is a castle, said to be built by Bajazet. On an eminence to the southwest are the ruins of a spacious edifice, which may probably have been the gymnasium; and about 200 yards farther to the west, an ancient gateway stands almost entire. The city contains about 30,000 inhabitants during the winter, among whom are 200 Armenian and 100 Greek families; while a considerable proportion consists of Toorokmans, who migrate with their families to the mountains. A considerable trade is carried on. The land in the neighbourhood is exceedingly fertile, and yields abundance of wheat, barley, sesame, and cotton, which are exported to Malta, and thence to Spain and Portugal. Copper from Maden, and gall-nuts, are also exported in large quantities. The imports consist chiefly of rice, sugar, and coffee. Tarsus is a city of high antiquity. It is said by Arrian and Strabo to have been built by Sardanapalus, though others consider it to have been a Grecian colony. It was much favoured by the Roman emperors Augustus and Adrian; and, in wealth and grandeur, as well as in literature and science, rivalled the more celebrated cities of antiquity. It was adorned with many magnificent edifices, the monuments of ancient taste; but has been subject to so many vicissitudes, that scarcely any relics of its former splendour are to be seen.