The intriguing-sounding name Binbirkilise, literally meaning "one thousand and one churches", actually encompasses a small area in Central Anatolia, where many ruined early Christian temples are located. Although the remains of about 50 of these churches have been identified so far, there may have been many more here in the past.
Their current, deplorable state has resulted not only from the passage of time and weather conditions, but also from human activity. The old Byzantine churches have proven to be an excellent source of building materials, and their state of preservation is deteriorating year by year. We strongly advise the travellers visiting the region of central Turkey to visit Binbirkilise in addition to Konya and Çatalhöyük, before the old temples are irretrievably lost and disappear from the local landscape.
The Binbirkilise area is located on the northern slopes of the Karadağ volcano, in the Karaman Province. The ruins of churches are located near three villages: Madenşehri, Üçkuyu, and Değle. In the Byzantine era, this area was a cultural centre for local Christians. In the period from the 3rd to the 8th century CE, not only numerous churches and monasteries were built here, but also cisterns, fortifications, and entire residential settlements. Fragments of older structures from Roman and Hellenistic times, and even Hittite ones, have also been identified near Binbirkilise.
Characteristics of the Binbirkilise Churches
The most interesting examples of the architecture of the early Christian period are the remains of several basilicas covered with domes, in a style reminiscent of the temples of the Syriac Orthodox Church. Their walls were constructed of large stone blocks. Due to the lack of sufficient wood in the region, their roofs were also made in the shape of stone domes, instead of flat wooden roofs.
Above the naves there were galleries, or separate mezzanine floors, intended for choirs. In the apses, lighting was provided by the so-called clerestories - double windows protruding above the roof of the side nave. The vestibules (narthexes) have double arcades and are supported by a single column standing in the middle of the room. In some of the churches, especially in the area of Madenşehri, fragments of wall paintings have been preserved.
Archaeological research:
In 1904, Austrian architect Carl Holzmann published "Archaeological Sketches on Binbirkilise". Shortly afterwards, in 1905, the region was visited by the British traveller Gertrude Bell, who was also involved in archaeology. She published her observations of Binbirkilise in a series of articles in the magazine Revue Archéologique. During her journey, she met Scottish archaeologist William Mitchell Ramsay. Together, they decided to begin excavations at Binbirkilise in 1907. The results of their work were presented in the book "The Thousand and One Churches".
Unfortunately, when Gertrude Bell returned to Binbirkilise after a break of only two years, she discovered that many of the buildings she had documented had since disappeared. This was due to the theft of the construction materials from which they had been built. Currently, the state of preservation of these buildings is even worse, which is visible by comparing them with photographs taken by Bell in the early 20th century.
Visitor tips:
Visiting Binbirkilise is only possible by car, especially since you have to cover many kilometres between the ruins of individual churches. Before setting off on a trip, it is worth stocking up on drinking water, provisions and refuelling the car because there are no shops or service points in the nearby villages. There are also no accommodation options available there.
The Byzantine churches are not guarded, there are no fees for visiting them, but unfortunately, they are not marked in any way, and there are no information boards. The churches located in the village of Üçkuyu are located among farm buildings and to get to them, you have to go through private yards (watch out for herds of goats and sheep).
Getting there:
Getting to Binbirkilise is not easy, as is locating individual churches. The most interesting buildings are located in the centre of the village of Madenşehri (geographic coordinates: 37.438499, 33.167332) and in its vicinity (37.445332, 33.164501) and in the area of the village of Üçkuyu (37.432999, 33.117168).
Driving to Binbirkilise from the west, from the direction of the town of Çumra, we tried to find a shortcut using local roads, but this turned out to be a time-consuming and troublesome solution due to the lack of any signposts. Finally, we covered the last section to Madenşehri, a few kilometres long, on an unpaved road, not the best option for the undercarriage of the car.
It turned out that the access to Binbirkilise is definitely better marked with appropriate signposts if one approaches from the eastern direction. Convenient access is offered by route 330 from Konya to Karapınar, from which you turn south at Karapınar Yaylası (10 km west of the centre of Karapınar). After another 45 km, turn east at the village of Dinek, following the signpost, and after another 9 km you will reach Madenşehri. The village of Üçkuyu is located about 7 km west of Madenşehri.
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