How did Anatolia’s mountains affect travel between its northern and southern coasts?

The mountain ranges running along the northern Black Sea coast and the southern Mediterranean coast of Anatolia significantly hampered travel between the north and south.1

These geographic barriers isolated the coastal regions from the interior and created distinct challenges for movement across the peninsula. While the geography of Anatolia facilitated west-east connections, the rugged terrain necessitated the use of specific, limited passageways to traverse the mountains. The most notable of these is the Cilician Gates, a historic route that has been utilized by caravans and armies since antiquity to cross the Taurus Mountains in the south.21