Öküzlü Ruins

History and General Information / Local Legends and Folklore Öküzlü Ruins, located in the mountainous part of Erdemli district, within the borders of Batısandal Village, is one of the most intact ancient settlements of Rough Cilician rural architecture. Founded as a watchtower and olive oil production center in the Hellenistic period, the settlement turned into a rich city equipped with monumental structures during the Roman and Early Byzantine periods. In the center of the ruins, there is a magnificent basilica with three naves, built with cut stone blocks, dating back to the 5th and 6th centuries. The city's streets, ancient stone-paved avenues, house ruins, rock cisterns, olive oil workshops and embossed sarcophagi in the necropolis are like an open-air museum. The settlement, which is said to have taken its name from the ancient ox head (bucrayon) reliefs at the entrances of sarcophagi and cisterns, has managed the mountainous plateau part of the Çukurova and Mediterranean trade for centuries. It is said among the local people that the centuries-old olive oil jars hidden in the cisterns of the ancient city spread fertility to the land and the breeze blowing from the valley brings life to the historical streets. Geographical Structure, Altitude and Natural Features It is located at an altitude of approximately 600 meters on the western slopes of the Limonlu Stream Valley. It is surrounded by limestone cliffs, centuries-old oak, terebinth and laurel groves, and has an untouched Mediterranean flora dotted with wild orchids and mountain thyme in spring. Visiting Hours, Days and Entrance Fees