Alahan Monastery is a complex of fifth-century buildings located in the mountains of Isauria, which
was part of the ancient Roman province of Cilicia. Now it is the south of Turkey, Mersin province, near
the city of Mut, the village of Geçimli. About a two-hour drive from the city of Mersin along a scenic road.
Although Alahan is referred to as a monastery in many sources, this attribution is disputed, and more
recent scholars consider it a pilgrimage shrine. The complex played a significant role in the
development of early Byzantine architecture, and almost everything known about it can be attributed to
the excavations of Michael Gough.
The construction of Alahan Monastery took place over two periods. The first occurred in the mid-
fifth century under Emperor Leo I, and the second occurred in the last quarter of the fifth century under
Emperor Zeno. The complex includes two churches, rock-cut chambers,
baptistery – this is an annex to the church in the form of a separate building intended for
the performance of baptism. Such a special room was necessary, as parishioners
were allowed into the church only after baptism. Also in Alahan were residential premises and
many other premises, such as the front yard, necropolis, bath and lower terrace. It
will amaze you with its panoramic views of the mountains. There are disputes about the original
purpose of the monastery, but it nevertheless became a public living space for
monks and those who sought pilgrimage until the seventh century AD, after which it was
abandoned. Upon coming to power, Emperor Zeno took over the construction and likely funded
the project.
The complex is an example of skilled Isaurian stone masonry. Do not rush when visiting
this place, consider the details. You will be opened to real works of art in stone. Alahan
is a key site in the history of early Byzantine architecture, half a century before the great
achievements of Justinian in Constantinople.
In the western part of the site is a large naturally formed cave about 10 m high.
Previously, it had many large rooms located on three floors, each with a height of just
over 2 m, although it is now almost completely empty. Inside the cave complex is a church
measuring about 7.5 by 7.7 m. It is believed that the cave church was the first of the built churches
of the monastery.
The Western Church, called the »Church of the Evangelists», is the largest of all
the churches of the monastery, its overall dimensions are 36 by 16 m. The church is in the form of a basilica with
three rows — a central nave and two side passages. It was built after
the cave church, but before the Eastern Church. This is the least preserved of all three churches, and
the first visitors to this place did not identify it as a church, but as a gate to the site. The presence
of two pastophoria proves that it was a church, and the decorations found on its decorated
gates refer to evangelism. Be sure to consider these gates carefully.
Excavations at Alahan have uncovered decorations made of sculptural masonry and rich mosaics, indicating that the church had rich patronage in its time.
The rugged mountain terrain meant that a large part of the rock slope had to be cut during
construction. Even then, the church plan was adapted to the local terrain. As a result, it does not
resemble the ideal east-west orientation typical of churches of that time.
The Eastern Church, located on the far eastern side of the monastery, is the best preserved of all the churches.
It is significantly smaller than the Western Church, measuring
23 by 15 meters. It has a basilical design with a tower superimposed on the eastern part of the nave.
It is believed that the roof was most likely not made of stone, as almost nothing was found
among the debris during excavations. It was most likely made of lightweight wooden
tiles.
This church is less decorated than the other two because it could only be accessed from within
the monastic complex. It contains only minor decorations at the entrance.
The colonnaded path, initially roofed, connects the Western and Eastern churches. The path also
provided access to other buildings in the complex, such as the baptistery and living quarters. It
also restricted access to the site from the hillside below thanks to a high retaining wall on
its southern side. There is no evidence to suggest the type of roof that
covered the passage.
Two-apsed baptistery or, simply put, a font with two passages, oriented from
east to west, with an entrance to the south. The discovery of a cross-shaped baptismal pool confirms,
that the building was used as a baptistery. It is believed to have been built as the community expanded
in Alahan, since the font located in the cave church probably served
as the original baptistery. Inside the font there is a painting, which is not in the eastern church,
perhaps because the artists were no longer present when the eastern church was completed.
This suggests that there was a significant gap between the construction of each building.
There is not enough evidence to conclusively suggest what type of roof
covered the building.
As the community grew, the living quarters in the cave complex became insufficient.
Additional living quarters were built between the Western Church and the
baptistery with four separate groups of rooms. These premises could be accessed through the
cave complex and the colonnaded passage.
The complex has many other premises. These include a front yard located
outside the eastern church and to the north of the colonnade passage; a necropolis to the west of the front
yard; the tombs of Tarasis the Elder and the Younger, carved into the rock next to the necropolis; a complex
of springs that directed water around and under the buildings, both to keep them dry
and to provide the community with a reliable source of water; a bathhouse located far to the
east, beyond the eastern church; and a lower terrace in the valley, which was used for
agriculture.
The Ottoman traveler Evliya Celebi visited the monastery in 1671–1672, and in his report, he
expressed his amazement and also recommended: “This is worth visiting”.
I join his words, expressing great admiration and a desire to visit this monastery
again. For visitors, admission is free. Photo and video shooting are allowed. Drone flight
is prohibited, as in all historical attractions in Turkey.
If you are in Mersin, be sure to visit Alahan Monastery.
