Aya Thecla (St. Thecla) – Meriamlik, Mersin
The early Christian pilgrimage complex of St. Thecla (Aya Thecla/Meryemlik) near Silifke centers on a cave where Thecla is believed to have lived and preached (Acts of Paul and Thecla). From the 4th–6th centuries, the site gained a large basilica-church over the cave, baptistery, monastic cells, cisterns, and rock-cut hermitages. Pilgrim graffiti and inscriptions attest to its enduring cult; earthquakes partially ruined the basilica, but the subterranean cave and water systems remain key features.
Sources
- Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Thecla
- T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı – Aya Thekla Örenyeri tanıtımı
- Turkish Archaeological News – surveys of Aya Thecla/Meryemlik