Cave of the Seven Sleepers — Attraction in Selçuk

In Christian and Islamic tradition, the Seven Sleepers (Arabic: اصحاب الکهف‎, romanized: aṣḥāb al kahf, lit. 'People of the Cave') is the story of a group of youths who hid inside a cave outside the city of Ephesus around 250 CE to escape a religious persecution and emerged some 300 years later. The story says that during the persecutions by the Roman emperor Decius, around 250 AD, seven young men were accused of following Christianity. They were given some time to recant their faith, but they refused to bow to Roman idols. Instead they chose to give their worldly goods to the poor and retire to a mountain cave to pray, where they fell asleep. The Emperor, seeing that their attitude towards paganism had not improved, ordered the mouth of the cave to be sealed. Decius died in 251, and many years passed during which Christianity went from being persecuted to being the state religion of the Roman Empire. At some later time – usually given as during the reign of Theodosius II (408–450) – in 447 A.D. when heated discussions were taking place between various schools of Christianity about the resurrection of body in the day of judgement and life after death, a landowner decided to open up the sealed mouth of the cave, thinking to use it as a cattle pen. He opened it and found the sleepers inside. They awoke, imagining that they had slept but one day, and sent one of their number to Ephesus to buy food, with instructions to be careful lest the pagans recognize and seize him. Upon arriving in the city, this person was astounded to find buildings with crosses attached; the townspeople for their part were astounded to find a man trying to spend old coins from the reign of Decius. The bishop was summoned to interview the sleepers; they told him their miracle story, and died praising God.[1] The various lives of the Seven Sleepers in Greek are listed and in other non-Latin languages at...

Well, there's not much to see here. But it's free. A short 100m walk, and you're there. It's all locked up, so no going inside, but you can see a lot from the hill. It is not very impressive since it is falling apart slowly. They are religious parables related to the site, so it is famous. It's hard to miss as it is right outside the more famous (and expensive) Ephesus and well signed.

No parking, but there are spots as you drive in for restaurants and tour buses. Expect 20 minute and...

This is the cave where 7 young man were hiding in the times when Christianity were punished by death. Romans found out about their hiding place and blocked the way out by rocks. Young man fell into miracle asleep for 200 years when a sheppard opened the cave by accident. The emperor Theodosius came in person to see this miracle. After several days young man finally died. This miracle happened in the times when Christianity was no longer persecuted, but ressurection was doubted in the...