Photo of St. Paul’s Monastery in Tarsus, Cilicia

A few people know, but the city of Tarsus in Cilicia was the birthplace of Apostle Paul, one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ.

Pictured is the Armenian monastery of St. Paul in Tarsus built in the 12th century in the era of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. The monastery was built presumably on the spot where the Apostle’s parental home used to be located.

Now, the city of Tarsus, like the entire Armenian Cilicia, is occupied by Turkey. The monastery itself which was supposed to be a place of pilgrimage for millions of Christians from around the world was completely destroyed. The government of Turkey decided to demolish the Armenian monastery in 1963.