Topkapı Palace
The sultans’ palace on Sarayburnu: courtyards, the Imperial Council, the treasury and the terraces over the water. Dated entry, sold online on its own site.
Silifke Ayatekla Archaeological Site
A cave church near Silifke that grew around the refuge of Saint Thekla, one of Christianity's earliest and best-known women saints, with ruins from the age of Emperor Zeno.
About the museum
The Ayatekla site, also called Meryemlik, lies about four kilometres from the centre of Silifke and is one of the oldest and most important Christian places in Anatolia. It is built around a cave church dedicated to Aya Tekla, or Saint Thekla, a young woman who was influenced by the preaching of Saint Paul and devoted herself to the new faith.
According to tradition, Thekla was targeted by pagans for spreading Christianity. Learning that she was to be killed, she fled to Seleucia, as Silifke was then known, and hid in a cave. There she is said to have performed miracles, and she was believed to have vanished in that same cave when her killers came. Christians held the cave sacred, and used it as a secret place of worship until Christianity was made legal in AD 312. In the 4th century the cave was turned into a church.
The site's golden age came under the Roman emperor Zeno, when large church buildings rose around the cave. The Catholic Church commemorates Thekla each year on 23 September and the Orthodox Church on the 24th. Today the site draws Christian pilgrims and curious visitors interested in the early history of the faith in southern Anatolia.
Tips
- Combine it with the Silifke Atatürk House and Ethnography Museum in the town, about four kilometres away.
- Around 23 and 24 September the saint is commemorated, which can mean more pilgrims at the site; check the official page for current access.
Questions
When is Silifke Ayatekla Archaeological Site open?
According to the Ministry’s listing it opens at 08:15 and closes at 19:00 (last entry 18:15). Open every day.
Can I buy tickets for Silifke Ayatekla Archaeological Site on this site?
No. This site sells no tickets. Topkapı Palace, the Basilica Cistern, Hagia Sophia and Dolmabahçe Palace are sold on our sister sites; for Silifke Ayatekla Archaeological Site, buy at the ticket office or on the Ministry’s official e-ticket system.
Where is Silifke Ayatekla Archaeological Site?
Silifke Ayatekla Archaeological Site is in Mersin, Türkiye — Yeni Mahallele Becili Mevkii.
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Four Istanbul landmarks, each sold on its own site by the agency behind this guide — dated entry and free cancellation up to 24 hours.
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