Noted by an English Traveler in 1835, Burdur’s Serençay Canyon Preserves Late Roman Settlement

In the rugged interior of southwestern Anatolia, a narrow canyon carved by nature also carries the marks of human survival and belief. Serençay Canyon, located in Türkiye’s Burdur province, was already attracting attention in the early 19th century, when an English traveler recorded its rock-cut landscape in 1835. Nearly two centuries later, the same canyon continues to offer valuable insights into Late Roman and Early Christian settlement patterns in inland Anatolia.

A Canyon Between Villages and Centuries

Serençay Canyon lies between the modern villages of Günalan and Askeriye, cutting a long corridor through the limestone terrain of Burdur. The name of the canyon is thought to derive from a local term meaning “long,” reflecting both its physical form and its extended presence in regional memory.

Along both sides of the canyon, clusters of rock-cut spaces are visible at varying heights. These carved chambers, arranged in groups rather than isolation, indicate sustained habitation rather than temporary use. Archaeological assessments associate the settlement with the Late Roman to Early Christian period, broadly dated between the 4th and 6th centuries CE.

Tekke Sarayı and the Logic of the Landscape

Adjacent to the canyon is a rock settlement locally known as Tekke Sarayı. According to oral tradition, shepherds once used these caves to shelter their goat herds during harsh weather. The term tekke, referring to the leading male goat, is believed to have gradually become attached to the site.

The geology of the area played a decisive role in its use. The soft rock could be carved with relative ease, allowing the creation of rooms, corridors, and storage spaces. This characteristic later gave rise to another local name—“Kadife Kale,” or “Velvet Castle”—a reference not to military strength, but to the pliability of the stone itself.

Late Roman and Early Christian Use of the Caves

Research conducted in the area suggests that the rock-cut settlement belongs to the Late Roman or Early Christian architectural tradition. The internal organization of the caves points to domestic use, while certain sections are interpreted as burial areas.

Osman Koçibay, Deputy Director of Burdur’s Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, notes that the site may be connected to the wider history of religious transformation in the Roman Empire. During periods when early Christian communities faced pressure and persecution, remote landscapes such as Serençay Canyon may have offered refuge. Local accounts maintain that some of the caves were used both for habitation and burial during this transitional era.

An English Traveler’s Record from 1835

The historical visibility of Serençay Canyon extends beyond archaeology. In 1835, the English traveler William John Hamilton visited the region and documented the rock settlement known today as Kadife Kale. His writings represent one of the earliest known external descriptions of the site, recorded at a time when much of inland Anatolia remained poorly documented in European scholarship.

Hamilton’s observations later gained additional importance as academic interest in the region grew. By 1940, the area had already become the subject of a doctoral study, highlighting its archaeological and historical value well before systematic excavation campaigns were introduced.

A Preserved Landscape of Anatolian Continuity

Today, Serençay Canyon and Tekke Sarayı remain largely outside major tourist routes, preserving a landscape where natural formation and human adaptation remain closely intertwined. The site reflects a long continuum—from Late Roman domestic life and early Christian refuge practices to 19th-century travel literature and modern archaeological interest.

For Anatolian archaeology, Serençay Canyon stands as a reminder that significant historical landscapes are not always monumental or urban. Sometimes, they are carved quietly into cliffs, waiting centuries to be read again—first by an English traveler, and now by archaeology.