Derbe, Turkey | Getting There and What You'll See

We decided to visit the ancient city of Derbe in Turkey. I want to share what we learned about how to get there and what to expect when visiting. Additionally, I want to show some pictures that give an idea of what you can expect to see. The information given on Wikpedia is scant, so I hope this can help.

Significant Biblical events in Derbe

47 CE – Paul arrives in Derbe on his first missionary journey after being stoned in Lystra. Acts 14:19-21 records that “quite a few disciples” were made there. This likely included “Gaius of Derbe” mentioned later at Acts 20:4. He establishes a congregation of Christians in the city.

49 CE – Paul visits again on his second missionary tour. Acts 15:36.

52 CE – Paul again returns on his third missionary tour to the cities of Galatia. This likely included Derbe. Acts 18:23.

How to get there

The ancient city of Derbe is located here. Today it is called Kerti Huyuk by the local Turkish residents. Google maps will reveal a road that encircles it, with several access points. Don’t be fooled, there is only one good road that accesses it. Following other routes recommended by navigation systems will send you through cramped 1-way roads across corn fields. Follow these directions:

1. Go to a Turkish town called Ekinozu.
2. Find the road located here. Go north all the way to the mound in sight.
3. Arriving at the mound, veer the left of it to find parking.

Here is the best route to take with a 2-lane road.

Follow this route to Derbe.

Here is the road we drove to get from Ekinozu to Derve. Gravel, but in good condition.

Pictures of Derbe

The mound only took about 10 minutes to ascend. It’s not very big. Here is what we saw a the top.

Obviously some excavations here, but there isn’t much to see.

There was also this curious pillar. Perhaps for identification of the site.

There were other things we found on the mound. Walking around the mound revealed all kinds of old pottery sherds strewn around the mountain. They may have been very old… or not. But fun to look for.

Sherds of pottery were all over the mound.

I found this one with an image, maybe

.

In our group, some think it might be an image, others think it is nothing. At best, it could be a madonna or something. What do you think? Leave me a comment.

A word about facilities

We went back to the nearby town of Ekinozu. We needed a toilet. There is absolutely no private place to go at or near Derbe. Here is the only public toilet in the town.

The only public toilet in town.

We asked some men nearby if there was a washroom for women. They said “no” but that there is one at the local mosque if we want to go there. We decided to take our chances and go to another town.

Lastly I want to end with a little gem we found about a 10 minute drive outside Derbe. It’s the picture at the beginning of this artile. It’s a small cave. One can only imagine travelers from long ago stopping here for the night. It’s right beside the road and easy to spot. It’s exact location is here.

Visiting the ancient city of Derbe in Turkey was a real treat. We came with low expectations because we knew it was not excavated yet. Our total time there was about 1 hour and our group felt like that was enough. I hope this was helpful. Leave a comment if you have any questions or suggestions.