Cave of the Seven Sleepers, Ephesus
At the archaeological site of Ephesus, a well-paved road heading east of the Vedius Gymnasium leads to the Cave of the Seven Sleepers, about .8km (1/2 mile) away.
History
According to legend, seven young Christian boys, refusing to submit to the persecutions of Emperor Decius (249-51 AD), fled to these caves with a group of Roman guards in hot pursuit. The guards mercilessly sealed up the cave with the boys inside.
The seven boys fell asleep, and slept for what seemed to them to be one night. They were awakened by an earthquake that broke the cave's seals and wandered back into town to buy some bread. To their shock, they found themselves in the 5th century! Times had changed and Christianity was now the state religion.
The Seven Sleepers later died natural deaths, and were buried in their cave. It wasn't long before the site became a destination for pilgrimages and many wished to be buried nearby.
The account dates from the 6th century in Christian documents. Interestingly, the Seven Sleepers also appear in the Qur'an (Koran); in this version, the boys are accompanied by a dog (Sura 18).
This site at Ephesus, one of the many caves used by Seven Sleepers throughout Anatolia (others are located in Akhisar, Manisa, Sardes, Tarsus, and Antakya, to name a few), is actually a grouping of small churches dating to the time of the persecutions. The churches are superimposed in the rock and contain crypts carved into the walls.
What to See
The actual cave site has been fenced off, but remains a draw to die-hard pilgrims. Currently, a hole in the fence provides access.
- The Cave of the Seven Sleepers - Kusadasi.biz - includes interactive "3D Live Pix" of the cave
- Quran 18: "The Cave" - online text in English
- Chardri, "The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus" - online English text of an Anglo-Norman account
- Ephesus Travel Forum - TripAdvisor
