Aya Tekla Church The Meryemlik Church, also known as Aya Tekla or Hagia Thekla, is a historic Byzantine church located in the Mersin Province of Turkey. Once a prominent site for pilgrimage, it continues to attract visitors to this day. Aya Tekla was inspired by the teachings of St. Paul and converted to Christianity, abandoning her previous polytheistic faith. This conversion led to conflict with her family and the Iconians, the people of Konya at the time. Throughout her life, Aya Tekla was linked to numerous miraculous occurrences, and despite being condemned to death by authorities in Iconium and Psidia Antiochia (Yalvaç), she managed to escape her execution. St. Paul entrusted Aya Tekla with the mission of spreading Christianity in the area of Silifke. She made her home in Seleucia (present-day Silifke), where she converted a cave into a secret worship space, offering help and healing to the local community. Initially, her efforts were met with resistance, but over time, she gained the support of the people of Silifke by using various herbal remedies to cure them. Saint Tekla became widely known for her miraculous healing abilities, which soon reached beyond her hometown to Cyprus. Raised in a society that revered many gods and goddesses, Tekla was able to overcome powerful figures like Sarpedonius, Jupiter, and Minerva, and used their own beliefs to convert others to monotheism. Despite her growing influence, the influential figures of Silifke, along with fearful doctors, conspired to kill her. They sent a group of attackers to her cave, but she disappeared and was never seen again. The cave later transformed into a structure resembling a monastery, which would eventually house one of the earliest churches in the world. It was built in honor of a Spanish traveler who had passed through Silifke after becoming a pilgrim in Jerusalem. Today, the Aya Tekla Church stands as a symbol of Tekla's enduring legacy, with additional structures built after Christianity became officially accepted. Visitors can still observe the remains of the northern church, a bathhouse, a cistern, and a tomb dedicated to Saint Tekla. The influence of Saint Tekla on Christianity is profound, as she is the only female martyr recognized by both the Catholic and Orthodox churches. Her feast days are celebrated on September 23rd and 24th by each of these churches. If you have any questions or would like more information about the Aya Tekla Church, feel free to contact us at [email protected] or simply message us via WhatsApp, and we will respond as soon as possible.