Discoveries shed light on early settlements at Karaman’s ‘Binbir Kilise’ site
KARAMAN

Ongoing archaeological surface surveys at the "Binbir Kilise," literally "Thousand and One Churches," region on the slopes of Karadağ, an extinct volcano north of the Central Anatolian province of Karaman, have revealed 15 previously undocumented religious structures and new signs of earlier settlements.
The site, dubbed Binbir Kilise, earns its name from the striking array and variety of early Christian religious structures scattered across the region. The term dates back to the observations of 19th-century archaeologists, who were struck by the sheer number of church ruins, chapels, monasteries and hermitages dotting the landscape.
Led by İlker Mete Mirmiroğlu from Necmettin Erbakan University’s Early Christian and Byzantine Art Department, researchers have been conducting a multi-year study involving a surface survey on the religious architecture of the Eastern Roman Period.
Mirmiroğlu said this year’s findings were particularly significant. “In the second year of our fieldwork, we made substantial discoveries. We found that the region hosted multiple ancient settlements. While Binbir Kilise was known primarily as a religious pilgrimage center, our findings confirm it was also a densely populated area,” Mirmiroğlu noted.
Among the major discoveries are 15 previously unrecorded chapels and small churches. In addition to religious structures, the team identified building complexes, cisterns, open-air sanctuaries, inscriptions, tombs and hermit cells — many of which were natural or partially carved caves.
Some of these hermit dwellings were found to contain crosses carved into the rock. Epigraphic studies on newly discovered inscriptions are ongoing. The researchers also unearthed a Seljuk-era coin, indicating that settlement in the region continued at least partially during the Seljuk period.
Historical data also points to a demographic shift in the 15th century, with both Muslim and non-Muslim populations relocated, possibly leading to the abandonment of the settlements around Karadağ. Mirmiroğlu emphasized that the research will continue next year with expanded surveys focusing on newly identified locations.