The Seljuk portal
Muqarnas and geometric carving from Nusretüddin Hasan's day, said to cast shadows of praying figures at prayer times.
Hüseyin Öcal — CC BY 3.0 · Ingeborg Simon — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ingeborg Simon — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ingeborg Simon — CC BY-SA 3.0
The cave ceiling is low enough that you enter bent double, as if being let in on a secret. Here, on Bencilus hill above the plain town of Afşin in the Anatolian highlands, Turkey stakes its strongest claim to the Cave of the Seven Sleepers, the story told in the Qur'an's Surat al-Kahf. It is not the only claimant in the Muslim world; Amman, Tarsus and Ephesus each have a cave of their own. What sets Afşin apart is that the story was never left to the cave alone. A church went up under Emperor Theodosius II in 446; the Seljuk emir of Maraş, Nusretüddin Hasan, added a ribat, a mosque and a caravanserai between 1215 and 1233; the Dulkadirid ruler Alaüddevle Bozkurt Bey built a madrasa (1480-1492), his wife Şemsi Hatun endowed a women's mosque in 1500, and an Ottoman pavilion, the Paşa Çardağı, followed in 1531. Some eleven centuries of building around one hole in the rock is what put the complex on UNESCO's Tentative List in April 2015. The Seljuk portal of the ribat is the artistic prize: muqarnas and geometric carving that locals say throws shadows shaped like a praying man, a praying woman and a dervish at prayer times. Go enjoying the tale rather than demanding proof of it. Inside, look for the old columns and capitals said to have been salvaged from the first Byzantine church and reused in the mosque, evidence that this was a Christian holy place before it became a Muslim shrine. The cave itself is small, with water that visitors drink with quiet reverence, and many pray inside. On Fridays and religious holidays coaches arrive from across Turkey and the place fills; for stillness, come on an ordinary weekday morning. Getting here is part of the trip. Afşin lies about 140 km north of Kahramanmaraş, a little over two hours by car via Göksun, and the complex is a further 7 km north-west of the town. Without a car, take a bus to Afşin and a taxi up the hill. The town sits at around 1,220 m, so summers are milder than in Maraş while winters bring real snow and occasionally awkward roads. There is no ticket and no fee; visits are in daylight hours, with modest dress as at any shrine. Children manage the visit well, but the cave is dark and low, unsuitable for pushchairs or anyone who cannot stoop, and the only refreshment nearby is a few simple tea gardens. A word of honesty before you set off: the February 2023 earthquakes damaged the complex, restoration has been under way since that year with parts fenced off, and we could not confirm a firm date for full reopening. Call the Afşin municipality or the Kahramanmaraş culture directorate before committing to two hours each way. And if the story does not move you in the first place, the architecture here is modest in scale and does not on its own justify a full day; for anyone who carries Surat al-Kahf in their heart, though, this drive is the destination, not the means.
Muqarnas and geometric carving from Nusretüddin Hasan's day, said to cast shadows of praying figures at prayer times.
A small, low-ceilinged space with water visitors drink from reverently, and where many stop to pray.
A church of 446, a Seljuk ribat and mosque, a Dulkadirid madrasa and women's mosque, and an Ottoman pavilion of 1531.
Başüstü Mahallesi, Bencilus hill, Afşin
If the Seven Sleepers story means something to you, yes without hesitation: this is Turkey's most complete Muslim shrine linked to it. If you are after striking architecture alone, the complex is modest and Afşin has nothing else to offer, so spend the day in Maraş instead. Either way, check the state of the restoration before you set off.
The complex itself is easy, but the cave ceiling is low, dark and damp, so you enter stooped; children find it an adventure, anyone with bad knees or a back problem will find it hard, and pushchairs cannot go in.