Day 1 : Kilistra & Lystra - Sille
After breakfast drive out to visit the caves and landscapes of little-visited Kilistra and nearby Lystra. Continue to Sille for lunch. Take a relaxed pace visit of Sille before returning to Konya for overnight.
Meal plan: Breakfast
The large rock carvings in the village of Gökyurt are the remains of the ancient Kilistra settlement, which dates back to Hellenistic and Roman times (2nd century BC - 3rd century AD). A whole city was carved into the rock with churches, houses, fountains, and watch towers, all complete with ventilation. The small rock-cut church is particularly impressive. Close by is the site of Lystra, another ancient village from the Roman Empire, colonised around 6th century BC. It is mentioned in the New Testament and was visited by Paul the Apostle on multiple occasions where he apparently healed a man. A small museum nearby in Hatunsaray displays some of the excavated artifacts from this site.
Sille is a small, old village near the town of Konya. It used to have a large Greek population who lived harmoniously with the local Turkish population for over 800 years, until the population exchange in 1923. Because of this, the village was able to retain the Greek language and Orthodox Christian religion. The church of St Helen is believed to have been founded by Constantine The Great's mother, Empress Helena and was used as a military depot during WWI and later as a clinic where a German doctor attached artificial limbs.
Sille is a small, old village near the town of Konya. It used to have a large Greek population who lived harmoniously with the local Turkish population for over 800 years, until the population exchange in 1923. Because of this, the village was able to retain the Greek language and Orthodox Christian religion. The church of St Helen is believed to have been founded by Constantine The Great's mother, Empress Helena and was used as a military depot during WWI and later as a clinic where a German doctor attached artificial limbs.
