Rethinking Monastic Identity: A New Perspective on Binbirkilise–Değle

Approximately 29 kilometers north of the ancient city of Laranda (now Karaman), the ruins of Binbirkilise — "Thousand and One Churches" — are scattered across the hills and plains of the extinct Karadağ volcano in central Anatolia. Beyond the numerous structures clustered within the ancient settlements of Madenşehir and Değle, Karadağ hosts additional Byzantine-era remains situated on various hilltops. While early travelers began visiting the area in the late 18th century, formal academic investigations only commenced in 1895. Within the framework of my doctoral thesis, I analyzed the architectural remains of Değle, focusing particularly on its typology, settlement patterns, and distinctive characteristics — a subject that has remained at the center of scholarly debate since the earliest explorations of the region. Although no written evidence survives to support the widespread existence of monasteries, 19th- and early 20th-century scholars frequently interpreted complexes in remote, elevated locations as monastic sites. Likewise, structures with perimeter walls, courtyards, and multiple rooms at Değle were consistently labeled as monasteries from the earliest explorations. Recent Byzantine scholarship has increasingly questioned these uncritical attributions, seeking instead to clarify the functional ambiguities of such complexes. Notably, the Alahan site has been reinterpreted as a pilgrimage center, while Cappadocia’s rock-cut courtyard complexes are now understood to have functioned primarily as residential spaces. Building on recent research and newly uncovered field evidence, this study revisits the Değle settlement, proposing that it served purposes beyond monasticism. The possibility of secular and monastic structures coexisting must be considered, recognizing the fluid boundary between religious and secular life. By analyzing Değle’s spatial relationships with neighboring settlements, strategic locations such as fortresses and military routes, and its broader integration into the Karadağ landscape, this study offers a reassessment of the settlement’s character and function.