Published on Dec, 2023
In this write-up, I will not talk about the historical aspects of this Kilistra ancient site. You can read about this on the internet. I will try here to shed light on a few areas that might be important to prospect visitors.
1. This place is about a 50-minute drive southwest from Konya. The road is paved. It consists of a good highway until you take the Kilistra Exit (14.5 Kms before reaching the destination) where it becomes a 2-way rural road, still well paved but unlit at night. You will also find that you’re the only one on this road, hardly encountering another moving vehicle even in broad daylight on a working day. Please use a car having good conditions with a good spare tire and tire changing kit. It will be very difficult if you face a car breakdown on this road where traffic is scarce, particularly if you don’t speak Turkish. Have a working GSM phone anyway and leave before dark.
2. Follow the Google Maps instructions and drive slower as you get closer if you want to reach the destination without difficulty. It took me a long time to reach it because there are no pertinent road signs and the last 200 meters consist of a narrow road (a right-turn exit) that can be hardly noticed. I went by it several times, noticed it, but thought it is a private road for livestock or agricultural equipment.
3. This particular type of settlement (i.e. ancient habitats carved in rocky wall-shaped formations) can be seen at other nearby locations as well. You can see them when you look around or climb on top of the rocky walls using the existing old staircase. I visited only this spot named “Kilistra Tarihi Yer” (it is the same site appearing in a nearby Maps pin called "Ancient City of Lystra") but if you have time you may wish to visit a couple more. I can see that there is a “Kilistra Katır İni” on the map, not far from here.
4. If you are fond of historical places like me, you will love this one. Thinking about how life was in those dug holes and experiencing the feeling is intriguing. I went up the stairs and visited each room. Among the carved rooms you will find a very small church, perhaps 3 x 3 meters, with a tiny burial chamber annexed to it. The place resembles Cappadocia but on a smaller scale.
5. It is sad that the place is not getting attention from the tourism authorities. It is unguarded, thus open to vandalism and defacement. I could notice the remains of barbecue fires, food leftovers, etc.
In my view, visiting this historical place is not to be missed if you happen to be in Türkiye.
Non Refundable
