Barely 25km/16mi north of Karaman a metalled road branches off the route to Hotamis up to the brim of the Kara Dag volcano (2,288m/7,500ft) and to the village of Madensehri (Madensehir) 8km/5mi further east. At the entrance to the village stands a large ruined church with some old frescoes. The village of Degle can be found higher up about 5km/3mi to the west on a continuation of the metalled road (keep left). It stands on a hill at the end of a track on the right-hand side of the road. Now almost abandoned, the village is the center of Binbir Kilise which includes the remains of some well-maintained Byzantine churches and mausoleums.
The complex enjoyed prosperity between the third and eighth century but in the 11th century was destroyed by the Seljuks. About 50 church ruins remain and they have given some insight into the history of church architecture. The basilica are particularly interesting. They are constructed of ashlar and unlike most churches of Asia Minor do not have flat roofs, but are vaulted throughout because of the shortage of timber in central Anatolia. To the northeast can be found more ruined churches and monasteries dating from the ninth and 10th century On the Mahliç Tepesi the principal summit of the Kara Dag range at a height of 2,771m/9,088ft stand the remains of a ninth century Byzantine monastery and a Hittite sacred grotto with hieroglyphics, copies of which may be seen in the museum at Karaman. Another of the Hittite's sacred sites lies on the western slopes of the Kara Dag on Kizil Dag.
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