In the Ürgüp district of Nevşehir, central Türkiye, historical remains located on Meryem Ana (Mother Mary) Mountain, which has an elevation of 1,603 meters, have been brought to light.
The area, situated between the Damsa Dam and the villages of Ayvalı and Cemil and locally known as “Golgoli,” draws attention with its natural beauty and multi-layered history.
The site, known as “Apsili Panaya” during the period when Greeks lived there, contains traces of belief systems from the Assyrian, Persian, Roman and Byzantine civilizations altogether.
With support from the Konya Plain Project Regional Development Administration and the Ahiler Development Agency (AHIKA) and under the execution of the Cappadocia Tourism Region Infrastructure Services Union (KAHBİB), monastery ruins and rock-carved structures have been cleaned and made visible.
Because the area is a dominant hill overlooking the wider Cappadocia region, it is being developed as an alternative visitor destination and it is also expected to attract interest as a location where sunrise and sunset can be observed most clearly in the region.
KAPHİB Director Levent Ak told an Anadolu Agency (AA) reporter that there is strong evidence that the structure at the summit of the mountain was dedicated to Mithra (deity of covenant and light) during the Ancient Persian period.
Ak noted that from the area, the sunrise can be seen rising behind Mount Erciyes and the sunset behind Mount Hasan and added that during the Roman period, this place of worship was converted into a church.
He pointed out that one of Cappadocia’s Assyrian trade centers is believed in sources to be lost and this site may be that location, and said:
“It is known that on Meryem Ana Mountain, there are 93 rooms and the Meryem Ana Church, and at the foot of the mountain, there was a village of about 200 households. Looking at sources from the last population exchange period, newly married couples would spend their honeymoon every year in the church and the accommodation rooms on Meryem Ana Mountain. Every year, on Sept. 8, which is celebrated as the birthday of the Virgin Mary, people from Cappadocia would go up there and stay for days in the rock-carved spaces. It is a panoramic area, with sunrise and sunset views similar to Mount Nemrut.”
Ak emphasized that by bringing the new destination into tourism, they expect Cappadocia to become a stronger attraction not only for balloon tourism but also for cultural and faith tourism.
Stating that Meryem Ana Mountain has been added to the “Cappadocia Culture Route,” Ak explained:
“The Cappadocia Culture Route starts from Avanos and extends to the Sobesos Ancient City in the Şahinefendi village, forming an approximately 80-kilometer route similar to the Lycian Way in Antalya. This route includes monasteries, historical sites and villages that have hosted Cappadocian civilizations, covering all civilizations. Our main goal is to bring the traces of all civilizations that lived in Cappadocia into tourism, to tell their story and to bring them to light. It will allow a new destination, like Mount Nemrut, to emerge and help increase the number of overnight stays in Cappadocia, because it is truly a historical and cultural heritage that has not yet been discovered.”
Ak concluded by saying that Meryem Ana Mountain, with its history, faith and natural heritage, is one of Cappadocia’s hidden treasures.
