The Belen Pass ( tr, Belen Geçidi), known in

antiquity Antiquity or Antiquities may refer to: Historical objects or periods Artifacts *Antiquities, objects or artifacts surviving from ancient cultures Eras Any period before the European Middle Ages (5th to 15th centuries) but still within the histo ...

as the Syrian Gates ( grc-gre, Συρίαι πύλαι, ''Syríai Pýlai''; la, Syriae Portae), is a

pass Pass, PASS, The Pass or Passed may refer to: Places *Pass, County Meath, a townland in Ireland * Pass, Poland, a village in Poland *Pass, an alternate term for a number of straits: see List of straits *Mountain pass, a lower place in a mountai ...

through the Nur Mountains located in the Belen District of

Hatay Province Hatay Province ( tr, Hatay ili, ) is the southernmost province of Turkey. It is situated almost entirely outside Anatolia, along the eastern coast of the Levantine Sea. The province borders Syria to its south and east, the Turkish province of A ...

in south-central Turkey. Ancient geographers described the pass through what was then known as the Amanus Mountains as 300 paces across. Historically, it and the Amanian Gate to its north formed the most important route between the regions of

Cilicia Cilicia (); el, Κιλικία, ''Kilikía''; Middle Persian: ''klkyʾy'' (''Klikiyā''); Parthian: ''kylkyʾ'' (''Kilikiyā''); tr, Kilikya). is a geographical region in southern Anatolia in Turkey, extending inland from the northeastern coas ...

and

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

. Near the western end of the pass is the Pillar of Jonah, marking the spot where the Hebrew prophet was supposedly disgorged by the great fish that had consumed him. Around 401BC,

Cyrus the Younger Cyrus the Younger ( peo, 𐎤𐎢𐎽𐎢𐏁 ''Kūruš''; grc-gre, Κῦρος ; died 401 BC) was an Achaemenid prince and general. He ruled as satrap of Lydia and Ionia from 408 to 401 BC. Son of Darius II and Parysatis, he died in 401 BC i ...

passed through the Syrian Gates without a fight when his army of 100,000including the ten thousand Greek mercenaries immortalized by Xenophon's '' Anabasis''compelled the Persian general opposing them to order his garrison to retreat. After the 333BC Battle of Issus, Alexander the Great's army pursued DariusIII through the pass. In 39BC, it was the scene of the

Battle of Amanus Pass The Battle of Amanus Pass took place in 39 BC at Belen Pass in the Nur Mountains, after the Parthian defeat in the battle of the Cilician Gates. The Parthians, alarmed after their recent defeats by the forces of Publius Ventidius Bassus, began ...

between Roman forces under P. Ventidius Bassus and

Parthian Parthian may be: Historical * A demonym "of Parthia", a region of north-eastern of Greater Iran * Parthian Empire (247 BC – 224 AD) * Parthian language, a now-extinct Middle Iranian language * Parthian shot, an archery skill famously employed by ...

forces under Pharnapates. The Romans completely routed the Parthian army and killed its commander, compelling PacorusI to withdraw across the

Euphrates The Euphrates () is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Tigris–Euphrates river system, Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia ( ''the land between the rivers'') ...

and allow the Romans to restore their rule over

over the course of the next year. During the 12th and 13th centuries, the Crusaders of Antioch and Armenians of

built several fortresses along and nearby the Syrian Gates, including

Trapessac Trapessac ( tr, Darbı Sak Kalesi) is a medieval fortress located 4 km north of the town of Kırıkhan in Hatay Province, Turkey. Trapessac was constructed in the 12th century by the Knights Templar and, together with the nearby fortress at Bag ...

at the northeast approach; Çalan, north of what is now Belen; Sarı Seki at the northwest approach; and Bagras guarding an alternate southern route between Antioch and Cilicia. The Crusader fortification at Çalan was surveyed in 1979.Photographs and a plan of Çalan Castl

/ref> The pass received its present name following its conquest by the Ottoman Empire, Turks. On July 28, 1832, a major battle took place at the pass between the Ottoman and Egyptian armies, where the forces of Ibrahim Pasha defeated the Turks.

References

{{Mountain passes of Turkey Mountain passes of Turkey Landforms of Hatay Province

See also

References