You wouldn’t want to make a special trip to Germüş, about 10km east of Şanlıurfa, unless you have a particular interest in churches especially as it’s now virtually ringed by high-rise satellite housing and the detritus of a dam.
That said, the sand-coloured 19th-century Church of St Jacob must once have been a fine and imposing building with a central dome and three smaller ones over the narthex. Unfortunately all the entrances and windows have been bricked up which means that you can’t even catch a glimpse of the interior.
Pieces of arch and other structures around the church suggest that it was once the centrepiece of a small complex.
A few people still live in the village although many of the old buildings stand in ruins. If you’ve come this far you might want to take a quick look at them since some must once have been fine houses. Those familiar with Cappadocia may think that they see similarities in their design.
Transport info
There are no buses to this part of the world so you’ll have to make an arrangement with an Urfa taxi driver to get here.
Since it’s only a short diversion from the road to Göbeklitepe you might want to combine a visit to both.
Nearby areas
