DOI: 10.62425/palmet.1921451 ISSN: 2822-3551

Documentation of Late Antique and Medieval Architectural Buildings in the Lystra Hinterland

Esra Yaldız, İlker Mete Mimiroğlu, Cahit Karakök, Tuba Bülbül Bahtiyar
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Lystra is a settlement that has been inhabited since prehistoric times, located along important transportation routes of Anatolia during the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods, and which became a significant center in early Christianity following the visits of Saint Paul. This study aims to document the Late Antique and Medieval architectural remains in the hinterland of Lystra, located within the boundaries of the Meram district of Konya province, and to offer a new interpretation of the region's spatial organization and settlement continuity. The fact that studies on Lystra in the literature have remained largely limited to historical and epigraphic data reveals the lack of comprehensive analyses based on architectural and spatial evidence. In this context, the study systematically documents different building types such as churches, holy springs, rock-cut structures, necropolis areas, bridges, and inns by combining methods of surface survey, in-situ measurement, and architectural drawing. The findings indicate that Lystra should be considered not only as a single ancient settlement but as part of a multi-layered and functionally diversified settlement network together with its hinterland. The coexistence of religious, production, and transportation structures demonstrates that the region possessed a dynamic spatial organization that showed continuity throughout the Late Antique and Medieval periods.

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