Olba (Turkish: Oura) was an ancient city and bishopric in the Roman province of Isauria, in present-day southern Turkey. It is included in the Catholic Church's list of Latin titular sees.
Olba was a city of Cetis in Cilicia Aspera, later forming part of Isauria; it had a temple of Zeus, whose priests were once kings of the country, and became a Roman colony. Strabo (XIV, 5, 10) and Ptolemy (V, 8, 6) call it Olbasa.
A coin of Diocæsarea, Olbos; Hierocles (Synecdemus, 709), Olbe; Basil of Seleucia (Mirac. S.Theclæ, 2, 8) and the Greek Notitiæ episcopatuum, Olba. The primitive name must have been Ourba or Orba, found in Theophanes the Chronographer, hence Ourbanopolis in "Acta S. Bartholomei".
Its ruins, north of Silifke in the Turkish province of Mersin, are called Oura in Turkish.
Olba was a suffragan of the Metropolitan of Isauria's provincial capital Seleucia, but faded like most sees in Asia Minor.
Le Quien (Oriens christianus, II, 1031) gives four bishops between the fourth and seventh centuries; but the Notitiæ episcopatuum mentions the see until the thirteenth century.
The diocese was nominally restored as Titular bishopric]] of the Episcopal (lowest) rank under the name Olba (Latin and Curiate Italian); Latin adjective Olbien(sis).
In 1927 it was suppressed, having had the following incumbents, all of the fitting episcopal rank :
Louis-François-Alexandre de Jarente de Senas d’Orgeval (1780.12.11 – 1788.05.28), Coadjutor Bishop of Orleans (France) (1780.12.11 – 1788.05.28), succeeding as Bishop of Orléans (1788.05.28 – retired 1801.10.29); died 1805
Antonio Luis Gaona, Military Order of Saint James the Sword (O.S.) (1800.08.11 – death 1804) (born Spain; no prelature)
Vasco José a Domina Nostra de Bona Morte Lobo, Canons Regular of Saint Augustine (C.R.S.A.) (1805.06.26 – death 1822.06.01), as Bishop-Prelate of Mozambique (Mozambique) (1805.06.26 – retired 1811.12.17) and on emeritate
Francis Patrick Moran (1871.12.22 – 1872.08.11) as Coadjutor Bishop of Ossory (Ireland) (1871.12.22 – 1872.08.11), succeeded as Bishop of Ossory (1872.08.11 – 1884.03.14), later Metropolitan Archbishop of Sydney (Australia) (1884.03.14 – death 1911.08.16), created Cardinal-Priest of S. Susanna (1885.07.30 – death 1911.08.16)
Stephanus Junák (1875.11.23 – death 1879.09.03) as Auxiliary Bishop of Oradea Mare (Romania) (1875.11.23 – 1879.09.03)
Bernard Hermann Koeckemann, Picpus Fathers (SS.CC.) (1881.05.17 – 1892.02.22) as Coadjutor Apostolic Vicar Hawaiian Islands (Polynesia, USA) (1881.05.17 – 1882.06.11), succeeding as Vicar Apostolic of Hawaiian Islands (USA) (1882.06.11 – death 1892.02.22)
Charles-François Lasne, Lazarists (C.M.) (1911.02.15 – death 1927.06.23) as Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Fort-Dauphin (Madagascar) (1911.02.15 – 1927.06.23)
In 1933 it was again restored as Titular bishopric of Olba. It is vacant since decades, having had the following incumbents, so far of the fitting episcopal rank :
Louis-Justin Gumy, Capuchin Friars Minor (O.F.M. Cap.) (1934.01.09 – 1941.04.27) as emeritate, previouslly Bishop of Port Victoria (Seychelles) (1921.03.10 – 1934.01.09)
Tihamér Tóth (1938.05.30 – 1939.03.03) as Coadjutor Bishop of Veszprém (Hungary) (1938.05.30 – 1939.03.03), succeeded as Bishop of Veszprém (1939.03.03 – death 1939.05.06)
Augustine Danglmayr (1942.04.24 – death 1992.09.18) as Auxiliary Bishop of Dallas (Texas, USA) (1942.04.24 – retired 1969.08.22) and on emeritate
