 The ruins of Binbirkilise are located in and around the modern villageMadenşehri. | |
  Shown within Turkey | |
| Location | Madenşehri,Karaman Province,Turkey |
|---|---|
| Region | Lycaonia |
| Coordinates | 37°26′14″N33°08′39″E / 37.43722°N 33.14417°E /37.43722; 33.14417 |
| History | |
| Founded | Approximately 3rd century |
| Abandoned | Approximately 8th century |
Binbirkilise (literally:Thousand and One Churches) is a district in modernKaraman Province ofTurkey, in what was the medieval region ofLycaonia known for its around fiftyByzantine church ruins.
The district is located on the northern slopes of the volcanoKaradağ, around 30 km (19 mi) north of the provincial capital city ofKaraman. The church ruins are situated in and around the settlements ofMadenşehri, Üçkuyu and Değle.
The region was a cultural centre for theByzantine Christians in the era between the 3rd and 8th centuries. There are remains of churches,monasteries,cisterns,fortifications and dwellings that are integrated in the villages. The stone materials were reused in today's buildings and this has caused a continuous reduction of the historical inventory.[1]
From thearchitecture historical viewpoint, the severaldomed basilicas ofSyriac Orthodox type are interesting. The walls were built of large cut stone blocks. Due to lack of wood in the region, the buildings were topped with stone domed roofs instead of flat wooden roofs. Over theaisles,matronea were constructed behind the upper column row. In theapses, there were doubleclerestory windows. Thenarthexes have mostly double arcades and are supported by a single column in the centre. In some churches, primarily in Madenşehri, remains ofmurals can be seen. Also rarerelics from theHittites,Roman andHellenistic period are found in the surroundings.[1]
In 1904,Carl Holzmann (1849–1914) published hisArchäologische Skizzen (English:Archaeological Sketches) about Binbirkilise. Shortly after, the region was described by British traveller and archaeologistGertrude Bell (1868–1926), who explored the region in 1905 during her trip throughAsia Minor. She published her observations in a series of articles in theRevue Archéologique. During this trip, she met inKonya the archaeologistWilliam Mitchell Ramsay (1851–1939). The two decided to conduct excavations in Binbirkilise that took place in 1907. The results were published along with many photos in their bookThe Thousand and One Churches.[2]
When Bell returned to the site two years later, she found that a large part of the documented buildings had disappeared as a result of robbery for cut stone.[3] Today, the state of destruction is much advanced as can be seen in comparison with Bell's photos. Turkish art historianSemavi Eyice examined the region and published the results of his research in 1971.
