The logo
'Tarsus' is an ancient southern Turkish city dating back to the 8th century B.C. Tarsus has been an important city and a centre for social, agricultural and economic activity throughout its history and was visited on separate occasions by Caesar and Cleopatra when it was under the Roman rule.
The Company logo reads TRZ, which is Tarsus in Aramaic letters and can be found on Tarsian coins dating back from the 4th century B.C.
The history of Tarsus is a fusion of Christianity and Islam and the city is documented in both the Bible and the Koran. In the Christian faith Tarsus is renowned for being the birthplace of the Apostle St Paul. The Koran contains the tale of Seven Sleepers -" seven Christian soldiers and their dog who hid in a cave to escape oppression and massacre by pagans during the rule of the Roman Emperor T. Decius (A.D 240-251). The men slept, sealed in their hiding place, for 309 years before waking. This legend enjoyed popularity during the Middle Ages in both Muslim and Christian faiths because it affirmed the resurrection of the dead. The cave believed to have sheltered the seven men is located 15km west of Tarsus and it is now a destination for both Muslim and Christian pilgrims.
Neville Buch, Chairman, decided to give the new company the name 'Tarsus' when he heard about the city and its interesting history on his visit to Istanbul, shortly after acquiring a significant interest in the company, then called BBB Design Group plc.