Anavarza - Anazarbos Ancient City < Anavarza, located in the Cilician region of Kozan, Turkey, is an ancient settlement perched atop a hill, which gives it the illusion of being an island. The city lies 8 km north of where the Sunbas stream meets the Ceyhan river. The early history of Anavarza remains somewhat mysterious before the Roman imperial period. However, Emperor Augustus visited the city in 19 AD, marking the beginning of its association with the title "Caesarea next to Anazarbus." The name Anazarbus is believed to have originated from a towering 200-meter column of rock, which is one of the most remarkable natural landmarks in the Çukurova plain. It is speculated that the name could have evolved from an older term, Na-barza, from Old Persian, meaning "Invincible." Anazarbos reached its peak of prosperity in the mid-2nd century AD. After the conclusion of the civil war in the Roman Empire at the end of that century, cities like Cilica Pedias (Eastern Cilicia) were utilized as military bases for Roman forces during their campaigns against the Parthians. As a result, Anazarbos became a city that occasionally provided logistical support to Roman armies in their confrontations with the Parthians. Throughout the first two centuries AD, Anazarbos thrived and became the most important city in its region. This expansion was highlighted by the construction of new architectural projects in the first half of the 3rd century AD, which included the creation of monumental structures and visits by influential emperors. Anazarbos was affected by earthquakes in both 525 and 561, but was reconstructed by the emperors of the time, Justinius and Justinianus. During the 7th-8th centuries, the city was invaded by Arabs, and control of it shifted back and forth between the Byzantines and the Arabs for several centuries. The Arab occupation came to an end in 964, when Nikephoros Phokas retook the city, restoring it to Byzantine rule. In the 11th century, Armenians moved to the Cilicia Plain to escape conflicts with Alparslan. By 1375, after the Memluks had gained control of the region, Turks began to settle there. The Ancient City of Anazarbos is famously known as the birthplace of Dioskurides, the renowned pharmacologist who served in the Roman army during the reign of Emperor Nero. His seminal work, De Materia Medica, described 1000 medicines and their 4740 potential uses, and continues to be studied in medical education even today. Dioskurides earned the title of "Father of Pharmacology" for his profound and lasting impact on human knowledge. His book has been translated into numerous languages, including Arabic, Syrian, Hebrew, Persian, Spanish, Greek, German, and English. Anazarbos Ancient City, also referred to as Anavarza Ancient City, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2014.