Eshab-ı Kehf Cave
Eshab-ı Kehf Mağarası
In the cave.
Map showing the location of Eshab-ı Kehf Cave
Map showing the location of Eshab-ı Kehf Cave
Eshab-ı Kehf Cave
Location of the cave in Turkey.
LocationAfşin, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey
Coordinates36°57′26″N 34°47′48″E / 36.95722°N 34.79667°E / 36.95722; 34.79667

Eshab-ı Kehf Cave, also known as Ashab-ı Kehf Cave or Seven Sleepers' Cave, (Turkish: Eshab-ı Kehf Mağarası, Ashab-ı Kehf Mağarası or Yedi Uyurlar Mağarası) is a show cave situated to the north of Tarsus, an ilçe (district) in Mersin Province, Turkey. The cave is named after the Persian word اصحاب کهف ("Ashāb-i Kahf") itself from the Arabic "aṣḥāb al kahf", "people of the cave", for Seven Sleepers of Ephesus, a belief in Christian and Islamic tradition.

The cave is about 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) to Tarsus and about 40 kilometres (25 mi) to Mersin. It is at the foothill of a small hill. The cave is small, not comparable to other caves of the province. However, it is a famed to be the cave of the Seven Sleepers. The exact location of the Seven Sleepers' cave is not known, and there are many other places[1] including some in Turkey claiming to be the cave of the Seven Sleepers.[2] Next to the cave, there is a mosque commissioned by the Ottoman sultan Abdülaziz (reigned 1861–1876), and built in 1873. The mosque's tall minaret with three şerefes (balconies) were added later.[3]

The other probable locations of the Seven Sleepers in Turkey are:

References

  1. ↑ "Cave of Ashabe Kahf (The Cave of the Seven Sleepers)". Madain Project. Archived from the original on 25 December 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  2. ↑ Mersin Valiliği:Mersin, ISBN 978 605 4196-07-4, pg 101-102
  3. ↑ Mersin traveller page (in Turkish)
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