THE COMPANIONS OF THE CAVE

The "Belief in the Seven Sleepers," found in many parts of the world, has its most important center in Anatolia at the "Cave of the Seven Sleepers" in Tarsus. It is considered a sacred pilgrimage site by both Christians and Muslims. Although the story of the Seven Sleepers is told in different ways today, the essence is the same. Long after St. Paul spread the rules of Christianity, the Roman emperor, referred to as Takyanus (or Diocletianus?) in Arabic sources, came to Tarsus and summoned these young men, who believed in one God during the polytheistic era, to his presence, telling them to adhere to the Roman religion or have them killed. These young men, unwilling to abandon their belief in one God, took advantage of the few days' time given by the emperor and fled to this cave near Tarsus. When the emperor learned of their situation, he ordered the entrance of the cave to be sealed, thus leaving them to die. However, by God's will, they miraculously fell into a sleep that lasted 309 years. They finally wake up and send Yemliha, the first to wake up, to the city to get food.