Köprülü Village Monastery

History and General Information / Local Legends and Folklore Köprülü Village Historical Monastery Ruins are the ruins of a mountain monastery complex founded by Christian monks and clergy who retreated in this sheltered valley of the Taurus Mountains during the Early Byzantine and Eastern Roman periods. Located on a ridge overlooking the strategic mountain passes of the Alara Valley, the structure consists of chapels, monk rooms, cisterns and grave niches. According to rumors among the local people, it is said that there are secret corridors under the monastery where the golden candlesticks and holy icons of the monks are kept. The ruins, which have been in ruins for centuries, reveal the region's multicultural memory of faith dating back to ancient times and the Middle Ages. Geographical Structure, Altitude and Natural Features The monastery ruins are located on a high limestone hill overlooking the Alara Canyon, near Köprülü Village, at an altitude of approximately 850 meters above sea level. It is surrounded by olive groves, terebinth bushes, oaks and laurel trees. The sweet wind blowing from the valley and the deep silence clearly show why the monastery was chosen as a place of retreat. Visiting Hours, Days and Entrance Fees