Soli (later Pompeiopolis) is an ancient port city at today's Viranşehir, a district of the city of Mersin. Only a few remains of ancient Soloi have survived, including the harbour basin and columns of a colonnade road. A theatre seen by travellers at the beginning of the 19th century is no longer visible..

Soli, first mentioned by Xenophon (ancient Greek politician, general and writer and student of Socrates), was supposedly founded by Greek colonists from Argos and Lindos on Rhodes. At the time of Alexander the Great, however, the inhabitants were loyal to the Achaemenids, the first Persian empire.

Alexander, who reached the city in October 333 B.C., therefore left a crew behind and imposed a tribute payment of 200 talents. The city had to take hostages and was to be destroyed, an order that Alexander took back. In Soli Alexander held a celebration of his recovery after the almost fatal bath in Kydnos and sacrificed to Asklepios.

View in direction to the sea

After Soli was destroyed by Tigranes II (King of Armenia and the Seleucid Empire) in 83 BC, it was re-established by Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (conqueror of the Cilician pirates) as Pompeiopolis and settled with the survivors of the Pirate War.