Lycaonia: Lystra

Karaman (Laranda)

•Interesting sites in the area :

•--Derbe : visited 3 times by St. Paul in 53 AD, old bishopry

•---Madensehir : 37 km

•--- Alahan monastery : from 5th cent. Goksu valley

•--- Derekoy Fisandon church (mosque) from 9th cent. 7 km south

•---- Cesmeli Fountain church in city center

•---Meraspolis or Meraspulla Cave : in Ermenek town, one of the largest in the world

•--- Manazan caves, in Yesildere Valley on Karaman-Tasdere road 40 km away

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•Destroyed by Perdicas in 322 BC. Later, Byzantine. In 1256 taken over by Karamanoglou Bey.

•Many Armenians and Greeks from this area still retain the name Karaman.

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•Mt. Karadag : locally known as Mahalac (Angel Michael), 1001 churches unexplored

                     Karaman Museum

•Manazan. 50 km east of Karaman are the fascinating remains of Manazan. Built during Byzantine times, the entire city-monastery was carved into the rocky hillside of the valley. Today, parts of the city are still used for wheat storage.

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•Yesildere, karaman : one of the oldest early Christian monasteries, countless rooms, tunnel-like passages & galleries are reached via a remarkable staircase

Isauria

•Isauria Vetus : the old Isavria, fiercely independent tribe, discovered in 1901

•50 Greek inscriptions, magnificent tombs (3-5 cent AD), epitaphs of 3 bishops Theophilus, Sisamoas, Mamas. Ruins of town and fortifications

Lystra

•Ta Lystra, mentioned in the Bible, visited  by Paul, 30 km south of Konya

•Ruins of a church with a big cross marked on the wall, a winery, and ruins of a city located over the top of a hill which is called Alusumas, where another church ruin. Not excavated yet. Was on the Persian Royal Road