Ruined buildings of the settlement of the Roman Empire period, now known under the name Hıdırlı, stand just 2.5 km to the north of Kızkalesi, on the road to Cambazlı. The settlement was founded on the ancient Roman road connecting the Mediterranean coast with Olba and Diocaesarea.
Historical overview:
The available information about the history of Hıdırlı is relatively scarce, in comparison to numerous studies devoted to Karakabaklı or Diocaesarea. The origins of the village date back to the early period of the Roman Empire that is to the first century CE. Many buildings have been expanded in the Byzantine period.
Sightseeing:
The settlement consisted of about 50 residential houses. In one case, stone vaults of a building have been preserved. In many other cases, there are visible holes that once supported wooden beams. Some of them, built in polygonal construction, date back to the Roman Empire period, while others were partly extended in the early Byzantine period when upper floors were added. Most of the houses can be identified by standing posts or doorframes. There were numerous underground cisterns for the water supply.
An early Byzantine church stands in the centre of the village. It is a three-aisled basilica with a narthex in the west. The narthex had three arched openings to the west and a further entrance to the south. The interior of the basilica was divided into three aisles by two rows of five columns each. The northern wall of the church, facing the storms from the Taurus Mountains, was windowless. The southern wall had two double arched windows on the upper floor. The apse also has two windows, separated by a pillar, with a horseshoe-shaped arch. To the right and left of the apse are pastophoria. In the early Christian period, the churches had pastophoria that is small rooms in the presbytery, adjacent symmetrically to the sides of the apse, that served as a double sacristy.
Visitor tips:
Hıdırlı area is not fenced off, and the entrance is free of charge. The ruins are clearly visible from the road, and their location is signalled by a brown signpost. Be sure to wear sturdy trekking boots and long trousers for the exploration, because the area is heavily overgrown with lush vegetation. Pay attention at every step as there are many unprotected underground cisterns, so there is a serious risk of falling or breaking a leg.
Getting there:
By car: take the road from Kızkalesi to Cambazlı. Hıdırlı is situated 2.5 km north from the center of Kızkalesi.
On foot: because the distance from Hıdırlı to Kızkalesi is just 2.5 km, it is possible to hike up from the coast.
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