The Saint Paul Well is the well located in the courtyard of the house where Saint Paul used to live in Tarsus. Its depth is 18 meters and its mouth width is 1.15 meters. Although its mouth is circular, the well itself is rectangular. During the restoration work right next to the well, the remains of the wall belonging to the house of St. Paul were found. In order to protect this structure from environmental effects and the attention of visitors, it has been covered with glass and taken under protection. The entrance fee for the Saint Paul Well is 7.5 TL and the museum card is valid.

Who Is St. Paul?

Saint Paul, who was born into a rich Jewish family from Tarsus, is known as one of the most important and influential figures of Christianity. His contributions to the spread of Christianity are so important that although he is not one of the 12 apostles of Jesus, he is also known as the "Apostle of Tarsus". St. Paul tried to spread Christianity outside of Jewish lands, and he has the biggest role in the Christianization of today's European lands. Paul played the most important role in making Christianity a separate religion from Judaism.

While St. Paul was hostile to Christianity in his youth, he became one of the most important defenders of this religion with a dream he saw during his visit to Jerusalem. In order to spread Christianity, he organized 3 great trips to the territory of the Roman Empire. Information about the life of St. Paul and his travels in Anatolia can be found in the Acts of the Apostles section of the New Testament. The Roman Empire, which believed in polytheistic religions at that time, was disturbed by his work, and he was arrested and executed in Rome. Bible writers based on the based on the letters of St. Paul to the rulers of large cities for the spread of Christianity while  creating religious texts. In the Gospel of Luke, there is the phrase 'I am from Tarsus, the not insignificant city of Cilicia', which St. Paul used to introduce himself, and therefore the word Tarsus is included in the Bible.

Why is St. Paul's Well  So Important?

Saint Paul's Well is one of the most important places for Christians. So much so that Christians who went to Jerusalem for the cross would definitely stop by here and saw it as a part of their pilgrimage. Christians visiting this place find it very important to be baptized with water from the well. It is believed that the water of the well is healing and never decreases in summer and winter. This is one of the best preserved values of Christianity to date.

In 2000, it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List with the name of "St. Paul's Church, Well and Historical Environment".

On the occasion of the 2000th anniversary of the birth of St. Paul, Pope Benedict XVI declared  from 28 June 2008 to 29 June 2009 as "The Year of St. Paul" This increased the recognition of "Saint Paul's Well and St. Paul's Church".

Where is St. Paul's Well? Directions Information. How to Go to the Well?

Saint Paulus Well is located in a very central location in Tarsus and is within walking distance of other historical and touristic spots. It is located at the starting point of the Old Tarsus Houses and right next to the Ancient Roman Road.

After reaching Tarsus Town Center by train or bus from Mersin and Adana, you can come to Makam Mevkii by city minibuses and see to Saint Paul Well  and all  other  values  locatedwithin walking distance of each other.

If you come here  by private vehicle  we recommend to park the vehicle in a suitable place and visit all these points on foot.

Places to be seen around St. Paul's Well

St. Paul's Well   is at the center of Tarsus. All historical places listed respectively as, Makam Mosque,  Ulu Mosque, Kırkkaşık Bedesten , Kubatpaşa Madrasah, St Paul Memorial Museum,  Cleopatra Gate, Tarsus Museum, Ancient Roman Road, St Paul's Well and Old Tarsus Houses  are all within walking distance. Our advice to visitors who come Tarsus  by private vehicle, to leave their vehicles in a suitable place and visit all these points on foot. They will have had a pleasant time full of history from the ancient period  to Turkish Republic.

Other nearby touristic spots:

Tarsus Waterfall: 1.8 km  km

Nusret Minelayer Culture Park: 1.8 km

Tarsus Zoo: 6.2  km

Eshabı Kehf Cave: 14 km

Taşkuyu Cave: 14 km

Sağlıklı Roman Road: 20 km