Soli, Cilicia

For other uses, see Soli (disambiguation).

The geographical location of the ancient city Soli of Cilicia in a modern map of Turkey. The red dot shows the position of Mersin. At the present scale, it coincides with the position of Soli which is slightly on the west.

Also known as Pompeiopolis.

Soli (Ancient Greek: Σόλοι, Soloi) was an ancient city and port in Cilicia, in present day Turkey, a part of Mezitli municipality which in turn is a part of Greater Mersin. It was a colony of Rhodes, founded c. 700 BC. Soli was destroyed in the 1st century BC, and rebuilt by Pompey the Great. Thereafter, it was called Pompeiopolis (not to be confused with the Pompeiopolis in Paphlagonia). The word solecism is derived from Soli, since the dialect of Greek spoken there was considered by Athenians to be a corrupted form of Attic Greek.

Charles Robert Cockrell visited the site of 'Pompeiopolis' in June 1813. Examination of his travel intinery and the archaeological remains present along the coastline of southern Turkey, suggests that Soloi-Pompeiopolis is located at Elaiussa-Sebaste.

Aratus of Soli was a famous Hellenistic poet.