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Sobesos is an ancient Roman outpost in Cappadocia. Its ruins lie south of Ürgüp near the village of Şahinefendi.
Visiting Sobesos
Admission to Sobesos is free (as of April 2024). There’s a path through the site and no information. It’s an active archaeological site, but excavations only take place every few years due to lack of funding. Most of what’s seen was uncovered during a three-year excavation.
History of Sobesos
Sobesos was discovered by accident in 2002. One story claims it was treasure hunters who stumbled upon it, while another says it was the farmer who owned the land. The city dates back to the 4th century and its boundaries have not yet been determined. Another interesting fact is that historians have always known that early Christians in Cappadocia were hiding from Roman soldiers, but Sobesos is the first and only evidence of a Roman settlement in the region.
Agora
The first section seen on the the path through Sobesos is the agora. This is where everyday citizens would come to trade for basic goods like food and clothing.
Bath
Next to the agora was a large Roman bath complex. It had a hypocaust heating system under the floor.
Council Chamber
The covered section at the end of the path protects the most important finds at Sobesos. It consists of the council chamber, or bouleuterion, which was a 400 square meter structure with 3 rooms.
The first room contains a grave covered by a stone lid with a cross. Underneath that lid is another lid which prevented bad odors from seeping out. When archaeologists opened the grave, they found the skeleton of a man wrapped in a shroud with his hands positioned on his belly. They took samples of the bones and left the skeleton in the grave.
The second room in the council chamber contains a beautiful mosaic with meander patterns, swastikas, and crosses. The mosaic is in excellent condition and rivals some of the best I’ve seen in Turkey.
The main room of the council chamber was the largest room. It was supported by columns and also contains mosaics on the floor.
Chapel in the Council Chamber
A small Byzantine chapel was built directly on top of some of the mosaics in the main room of the council chamber.
The chapel was constructed out of rough stones and materials recycled from the main room. It dates to the middle of the 6th century.
Cemetery
Just south of the council chamber is a small cemetery. It consists of several graves with stone lids scattered outside the building.
Another Chapel?
Finally, another structure sits next to the cemetery. A guide on my first visit told me it was another chapel.
