History and archaeology / Ancient city
Ruins of Germia and the Church of the Archangel Michael
Günyüzü, Eskişehir
The ruined remains of the great basilica dedicated to the Archangel Michael at Germia, an Early Byzantine pilgrimage town, in the village of Gümüşkonak.
Safety warning
Its story
Germia was a town in the province of Galatia Secunda in the late Roman period, thought to take its name from the hot springs around it. In the 5th century it became an important pilgrimage center when the consul Stoudios, said to have been healed by the thermal water, had a church built in the name of the Archangel Michael; it is reported that Justinian I also came to the town to bathe in fulfillment of a vow. Its ruins today are in the village of Gümüşkonak, known as Yörme until 1984, about 8 km south of Günyüzü. According to Kültür Envanteri records, the church was a domed, five-aisled basilica; its first phase is dated to the 5th century, and its second phase, based on column capitals with the monograms of Justinian and Theodora, to the 6th century. The building is largely destroyed; remains of a necropolis, a bath and a han built by Justinian are also reported around the village.
Key facts
- Period
- Early and Middle Byzantine (5th–10th century and later)
- Status
- Largely ruined remains; not a developed archaeological site
- Location
- Village of Gümüşkonak (formerly Yörme), ~8 km south of Günyüzü
- Admission
- Free access (within the village)
- Visit duration
- 30–45 minutes
Trip purpose
- Free
- Photography
- Quiet
- Day trip
Location
39.33123, 31.82668
Where to eat nearby
No food & drink venues listed nearby.
Map data: © OpenStreetMap contributors; Overture Maps
Reviews
No approved reviews yet. Reviews are written in the app after a visit.
Source: Web derlemesi (doğrulanmalı): https://kulturenvanteri.com/yer/basmelek-mikail-kilisesi-gumuskonak/ | https://kulturenvanteri.com/yer/germia/ | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germia | https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germia | https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1513790