Gergeme and Shammas (Sabbas) Pir Church

Located in Bünyan, a historical district of Kayseri, the village of Gergeme is situated on the slope of a large, stalactite-covered rock face in the western part of Bünyan.

The village is also referred to as Kerkeme in the literature.

The village bears traces of Byzantine (and even Roman) history.

At the highest point of the village, according to the village headman, there is a church with 40 rooms and a bathhouse; this church is now under protection.

The church is believed to have been built in the 13th century and is known as Shammas Pir.

Some sources state that this church was built in honor of Sabbas the Sanctified, a priest who was born in Talas in 439.

The inscription found inside the church is shown below.

This inscription contains a Turkish text written in the Greek alphabet. The text is as follows:

“This room in the monastery was built in the year eighteen ninety-nine. It is a charitable donation by Neftçi Abraham Ağa. May the father's efforts in remembrance of God continue. Sit here and offer your prayers. May God have mercy on the father Sabbas. From Kayseri”

Source: Seyit Burhanettin Akbaş (Quoted from the internet.)

The village contains two mosques with a very long history.

The remains of three mills are still standing in the village: linseed oil mills, flour mills, and bulgur mills.

Currently, only 10 households are actively living in the village; it is largely abandoned.

I highly recommend meeting Ahmet Turan, the village headman for the past 30 years.