The Silifke Ayatekla Archaeological Site, also known as the Virgin Mary (Meryemlik), is one of the earliest and most significant centres of Christianity. This pilgrimage destination, which attracts millions of Christians, houses the cave where the first and only female martyr of Christianity, Aya Tekla (Saint Thekla), was hid. At the age of 17, Tekla was influenced by the sermons of St. Paul, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ, and devoted herself to Christianity. When St. Paul set out for the Yalvaç District of Isparta to spread the faith, he assigned Aya Tekla to Christianize Silifke and its region. Upon learning that she would be killed, she escaped and came to Seleucia, where she was hidden in the aforementioned cave. She performed miracles and spread Christian belief against polytheistic religion from the cave where she sheltered. It was believed that she had disappeared in this cave at the time of her murder. The cave where Aya Tekla lived was considered sacred by Christians after her disappearance and was used as a secret place of worship until the ban on Christianity was lifted in 312 AD. The cave was then converted into a church in the 4th century AD. Aya Tekla is commemorated annually by the Catholic Church on 23 September and by the Orthodox Church on 24 September. The golden age of the Aya Tekla site was during the time of Roman Emperor Zenon in the 4th and 5th century AD. The Church of Aya Tekla was built by him and dedicated to Aya Tekla. In addition to the aforementioned structures, the North Church, baths, cisterns, cemeteries, and a portion of the city walls have also survived to the present day.
SİLİFKE AYATEKLA ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
