Things to Do in Karaman: Places and Attractions

Beach & Vacation

Syedra was an ancient port city in region of ancient Cilicia, Pamphylia, or Isauria, on the southern coast of modern-day Turkey between the towns of Alanya and Gazipaşa. Syedra was settled in the 7th century BCE, and abandoned in the 13th century CE. The town had a port at sea level and an upper town 400m above.

Beach & Vacation

Historic & Cultural

Lake Meke is a volcanic crater lake composed of two nested lakes located in Konya Province, central Turkey. It is a registered natural monument of the country and a Ramsar site. Lake Meke is located in Karapınar district of Konya Province.

Beach & Vacation

Selinus Odeon, located in the Koru neighborhood of Gazipaşa, is a significant remnant of the ancient city of Selinus. This structure, dating back to the Hellenistic era, was built into the natural slope of the hill. Other remains of the ancient city of Selinus include city walls, an agora, baths, and a necropolis. Selinus Odeon is within 87 meters walking distance of Selinus Agora.

Historic & Cultural

Laertes was a town of ancient Cilicia. Some have supposed that the philosopher Diogenes Laërtius was from this town. Strabo called it a stronghold.

Karaman Castle is a partly ruined castle located in the city center of Karaman, believed to have been built by the Byzantine Empire in the late 11th or early 12th century. It consists of three concentric ramparts: the outer, middle, and inner castles. The innermost rampart is situated on a tumulus that bears traces from the Bronze Age, Roman, and Byzantine periods, and it has nine bastions. The castle underwent renovations during the Seljuk and Karamanid periods, and the Ottomans repaired it in 1465. It is within walking distance of Hatuniye Medresesi (603 m) and Karaman Müzesi (635 m).

Historic & Cultural

Can Hasan 1 Mound is an archaeological site located near the village of Alaçatı, formerly known as Can Hasan, approximately 12–15 km northeast of the city center of Karaman province, Turkey. It is situated about 750 meters southeast of Can Hasan 3 Mound. Among the trio of mounds known by the same name in the vicinity of Can Hasan Village, Can Hasan 1 is attributed to the Chalcolithic Age, Can Hasan 2 to the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods, and Can Hasan 3 to the Neolithic Age settlement.

Ilistra was a town of ancient Lycaonia, inhabited in Roman and Byzantine times. It was on the road from Laranda to Isaura, which is still in existence. Ilistra became a seat of a bishop; no longer a residential bishopric, it remains a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church.

Historic & Cultural

City Guides

Alahan Monastery is a complex of fifth-century buildings located in the mountains of Isauria in southern Asia Minor. Located at an altitude of 4,000 ft, it stands 3,000 ft over the Calycadnus valley and is a one-hour walking distance from the village of Geçimli. Although termed a monastery in many sources, this attribution is contested and more recent scholarship consider it to be a pilgrimage shrine.

Historic & Cultural

Beach & Vacation

Religious Sites

Historic & Cultural

Anemurium, also called Animurium, is an ancient city whose ruins, now called Eski Anamur or Anemuryum, are close to the modern Turkish city of Anamur. It was in the Roman province of Cilicia, later Isauria, and was situated near a high promontory that marks the southernmost point of Asia Minor, only 64 km from Cyprus. In the Middle Ages, it was called Stallimur.

Historic & Cultural

Historic & Cultural

Kerti Höyük, also known as the ancient city of Derbe, is a historic mound located 3 km north of Ekinözü village in the Karaman Merkez district. The mound measures 250x150 meters and is 30 meters high. Surface surveys have uncovered pottery fragments from the Bronze Age, Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods. Derbe is considered an important pilgrimage site for Christians, having been visited three times by Saint Paul.