- Address
Dedeler, 33400 Tarsus/Mersin, Turkey - Web
https://www.kulturportali.gov.tr/turkiye/mersin/turizmaktiviteleri/eshab-i-kehf-yedi-uyurlar-magarasi - Visiting Hours
Everyday from 8:00 to 19:00 - What to see
Cave and mosque
It is a popular legend for both Christians (the seven sleepers of Ephesus) and Muslims (it is mentioned in Sura Al-Kahf of the Holy Quran). According to tradition, seven young men took refuge in a cave to escape pagan persecution, where God made them sleep for 300 years. When they woke up, the persecution against Christians had ended.
In 1873, Ottoman Sultan Abdülaziz had a mosque built near the cave to venerate the site. Three other caves in Turkey, one in Jordan and one in Syria dispute being the true cave of the Sleepers.
