Located
on the northern slopes of Mount Pion,
near Ephesus, The Grotto of Seven Sleepers
has been discovered by both Christians
and Moslems with a growing interest. According
to the Christian legend seven young men
were walled in during the reign of Decius
(250) and yet were seen alive in the streets
of Ephesus during the reign of Theodosius
II some years after the Council of Ephesus
(431). In the Koran, it is claimed that
the sleepers slept 309 years in their
tombs. A church has been built above this
Grotto by the Christians.
During excavations in the area, the church
and several tombs have been brought to
daylight. Some inscriptions of Seven
Sleepers have been noticed on the
walls of the church.
