Its great natural strength and situation, not far from the mouth of the Sis pass, and near the great road which debouched from the Cilician Gates, made Anazarbus play a considerable part in the struggles between the Eastern Roman Empire and the early Muslim invaders.
It had been rebuilt by Harun al-Rashid in 796, refortified at great expense by the Hamdanid Sayf al-Dawla (mid-10th century) and again destroyed in 962 by Nikephoros II Phokas.

In late 1097 or early 1098 it was captured by the armies of the First Crusade and was incorporated into Bohemond's Principality of Antioch.
 The Crusaders are probably responsible for the construction of an impressive donjon atop the center of the outcrop.
 Most of the remaining fortifications, including the curtain walls, massive horse-shaped towers, undercrofts, cisterns, and free-standing structures date from the Armenian periods of occupation, which began with the arrival of the Rubenid Baron T‛oros I, c. 1111.
 The site briefly exchanged hands between the Greeks and Armenians, until it was formally part of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia.
 Within the fortress are two Armenian chapels and the magnificent (but severely damaged) three-aisle church built by T‛oros I to celebrate his conquests.
 The church was once surrounded by a continuous, well-executed dedicatory inscription in Armenian.

The Mamluk Empire of Egypt finally destroyed the city in 1374.

The present wall of the lower city is of late construction.
It encloses a mass of ruins conspicuous in which are a fine triumphal arch, the colonnades of two streets, a gymnasium, etc.
A stadium and a theatre lie outside the walls to the south.
The remains of the acropolis fortifications are very interesting, including roads and ditches hewn in the rock.
There are no notable structures in the upper town.
For picturesqueness the site is not equaled in Cilicia, and it is worthwhile to trace the three fine aqueducts to their sources.
 A necropolis on the escarpment to the south of the curtain wall can also be seen complete with signs of illegal modern excavations.

A visit in December 2002 showed that the three aqueducts mentioned above have been nearly completely destroyed.
Only small, isolated sections are left standing with the largest portion lying in a pile of rubble that stretches the length of where the aqueducts once stood.
A powerful earthquake that struck the area in 1945 is thought to be responsible for the destruction.

A modest Turkish farming village (Dilekkaya) lies to the southwest of the ancient city.
A small outdoor museum with some of the artifacts collected in the area can be viewed for a small fee.
Also nearby are some beautiful mosaics discovered in a farmers field.
 Inquire at the museum for a viewing.

Anazarbus/Anavarsa was one of a chain of Armenian fortifications stretching through Cilicia.
 The castle of Sis (modern Kozan, Adana) lies to the north while Tumlu Castle and Yilankale are to the south, and the fortresses of Amouda and Sarvandikar are to the east.

In 2013, excavations uncovered the first known colonnaded double-lane road of the ancient world, 34 meters wide and 2700 meters long, also uncovered the ruins of a church and a bathhouse.

In 2017, archaeologists discovered a limestone statue of the goddess Hygieia and the god Eros.
The statue is thought to date to the third or fourth century B.C.
Its great natural strength and situation, not far from the mouth of the Sis pass, and near the great road which debouched from the Cilician Gates, made Anazarbus play a considerable part in the struggles between the Eastern Roman Empire and the early Muslim invaders. It had been rebuilt by Harun al-Rashid in 796, refortified at great expense by the Hamdanid Sayf al-Dawla (mid-10th century) and again destroyed in 962 by Nikephoros II Phokas.
In late 1097 or early 1098 it was captured by the armies of the First Crusade and was incorporated into Bohemond's Principality of Antioch.  The Crusaders are probably responsible for the construction of an impressive donjon atop the center of the outcrop.  Most of the remaining fortifications, including the curtain walls, massive horse-shaped towers, undercrofts, cisterns, and free-standing structures date from the Armenian periods of occupation, which began with the arrival of the Rubenid Baron T‛oros I, c. 1111.  The site briefly exchanged hands between the Greeks and Armenians, until it was formally part of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia.  Within the fortress are two Armenian chapels and the magnificent (but severely damaged) three-aisle church built by T‛oros I to celebrate his conquests.  The church was once surrounded by a continuous, well-executed dedicatory inscription in Armenian.
The Mamluk Empire of Egypt finally destroyed the city in 1374.
The present wall of the lower city is of late construction. It encloses a mass of ruins conspicuous in which are a fine triumphal arch, the colonnades of two streets, a gymnasium, etc. A stadium and a theatre lie outside the walls to the south. The remains of the acropolis fortifications are very interesting, including roads and ditches hewn in the rock. There are no notable structures in the upper town. For picturesqueness the site is not equaled in Cilicia, and it is worthwhile to trace the three fine aqueducts to their sources.  A necropolis on the escarpment to the south of the curtain wall can also be seen complete with signs of illegal modern excavations.
A visit in December 2002 showed that the three aqueducts mentioned above have been nearly completely destroyed. Only small, isolated sections are left standing with the largest portion lying in a pile of rubble that stretches the length of where the aqueducts once stood. A powerful earthquake that struck the area in 1945 is thought to be responsible for the destruction.
A modest Turkish farming village (Dilekkaya) lies to the southwest of the ancient city. A small outdoor museum with some of the artifacts collected in the area can be viewed for a small fee. Also nearby are some beautiful mosaics discovered in a farmers field.  Inquire at the museum for a viewing.
Anazarbus/Anavarsa was one of a chain of Armenian fortifications stretching through Cilicia.  The castle of Sis (modern Kozan, Adana) lies to the north while Tumlu Castle and Yilankale are to the south, and the fortresses of Amouda and Sarvandikar are to the east.
In 2013, excavations uncovered the first known colonnaded double-lane road of the ancient world, 34 meters wide and 2700 meters long, also uncovered the ruins of a church and a bathhouse.
In 2017, archaeologists discovered a limestone statue of the goddess Hygieia and the god Eros. The statue is thought to date to the third or fourth century B.C.
Anazarbus