Thecla (,
Thékla) was a
saint of the
early Christian Church, and a reported follower of
Paul the Apostle. She enjoyed great popularity in the
Byzantine period. According to the main work about her,
Acts of Paul and Thecla, she was originally from Ikonion, modern
Konya, and after the episodes described in the book, she lived around Silifke and died there. The beginnings of the site are unclear. A site of Thecla's cult near Silifke was visited by
Gregory of Nazianzus in 374.
Egeria, a woman widely regarded to be the author of a detailed account of a pilgrimage to the
Holy Land, visited the site in 384. She mentioned numerous
monastic cells for men and women, and a central church with an enclosing wall. The shrine of Thecla was relocated to a hill, now called
Meryemlik, meaning "of
Virgin Mary", into a cave, which was supposedly Thecla's home in her later years. The grave in the cave supposedly belongs to her. The church and other related buildings, such as a bath, are now in ruins, the only standing element being a part of the
apse. The cave and
cistern to the north of the cave are also partially standing. == References ==