The Via Sebaste Road from Pisidian Antioch to Lystra
- Jason Borges
- 15 hours ago
- 5 min read
Caesar Augustus constructed the Via Sebaste in 6 BCE in southern Anatolia. The route runs from Side in Pamphylia to Pisidian Antioch in Phrygia. The purpose of the road was to (1) facilitate military movement between his new Roman colonies and (2) hem in rebellious mountain communities. Paul and Barnabas likely took the Via Sebaste on their first missionary journey from Perge to Antioch (Acts 13).
Although the important colony of Pisidian Antioch was the terminal point of the Via Sebaste, a branch road continued eastward to Lystra and Iconium. This article describes the Roman road section from Antioch to Lystra, for people seeking to travel the route and explore extant remains along the Via Sebaste extension. Here is the route of the modern road on Google Maps.
1. Pisidian Antioch Gate
The monumental gate near the entrance of the site was built to honor Emperor Hadrian around 130 CE. In the first century, the entrance gate at the south end of the cardo street (30 meters up from Hadrian’s Gate) would have been the main access point to and from the city, thus functioning as the beginning of the route leading toward Lystra.
There are no road remains southeast of Antioch as you head toward Şarkikaraağaç. In this 25-km stretch through a fertile plain, the ancient tract might have run along the current road. Because Romans preferred to build roads above the valley floor, the road likely ran along the foothills east of the road (through the villages of Kuyucak, Kozluçay, Dedeçam, and Muratbağı, then south toward Şarkikaraağaç).
2. Fele Remains
South of Şarkikaraağaç, the road ran through the mountain pass now known as Fele. At its south end, the Fele Testi Antik store has a natural spring that ancient travelers would have used. Cut stones used to sit on the opposite (west) side of the street, but I could not find anything there, perhaps because of the newly built cafes. The road continues southward through the pass, along the modern road.
3. Kıyakdede Milestone
The central mosque in the village of Kıyakdede has an Augustan milestone marking mile “XXX.” This was the ancient Pisidian city of Neopolis. The village had five milestones (probably moved to the central location by local farmers), but the other four were moved.
After Neapolis, the Roman road continued south toward Kireli, then turned more eastward, away from the modern road that heads to Beyşehir. This route is derived from the trajectory of an ancient bridge in Görünmez that was destroyed in 1970. Going east from here, the modern road roughly follows the track of the ancient road going toward Yunuslar.
4. Selki Milestone
In the small town of Selki, behind the central mosque, a Roman milestone is built into the concrete fence. Selki had two other milestones, but only this one remains.
5. Yenidoğan Road
A nice section of Roman roadbed remains 4 km northwest of Yenidoğan. On the north side of the road (37.890304078248185, 31.822819324790323), you will notice a parking area with trees and a spring. Park here, then walk eastward along the farm road through the valley.
Remains of the ancient road are evident on the north side of the road. The road continues on the north side of the green fields as it continues toward Yunuslar. A smaller section of the Roman road also remains farther east (around 37.910067133218135, 31.86105367817209).
6. Yunuslar Cemetery
Just west of Yunuslar, an Ottoman/Turkish cemetery (at 37.90617389285599, 31.91374694377713) has ancient cut stones. I counted 11 short, oval pillars with a central band, perhaps from a late-antique church. The Roman road likely ran along the same farm road through the cemetery. Yunuslar was ancient Pappa/Tiberiopolis. The town has a nice Roman milestone and sarcophagus, but they are located in the yards of private homes.
7. Yunuslar Bridge
Two kilometers east of Yunuslar, a small yet well-preserved double-arch bridge stands over the creek (at 37.91155973815709, 31.941481464601964). The purpose of this bridge is hard to interpret. Because the Roman road was already north of the creek (through the Yunuslar cemetery), and it probably remained north of the creek going eastward through the ravine (since the Romans built roads on the sunny north side for winter weather), why does the bridge cross onto the south side? Perhaps it led to ancient Pappa/Tiberiopolis, but the bridge’s location here seems strange, for it is away from Pappa/Tiberiopolis and leads directly into the mountain range.
8. Kiziloren Miscellanea
The Roman road continued eastward toward Kiziloren but turned southward before reaching the modern town. On the west side of town is a Seljuk Caravansay (Atılhan), an unnamed tel 1 km to its south (37.86479183341775, 32.07086028881705), and some undatable ancient road carvings (in the rocky terrain around here 37.86197968236967, 32.09062129710974). These help confirm the ancient route. The road leading to Sefaköy has several natural springs, which are good indicators of the ancient road.
We are unsure of where the ancient road forked to create a branch to Iconium (modern Konya). There are two options. One, the road forked at Kiziloren, with the road going straight east to Iconium. This is the route of the modern and medieval Seljuk road (based on caravansaries), which tend to follow the Roman route. Two, the road continued south to Erenkaya, where it forked, and the branch to Iconium followed the current D696 northeast. In terms of road construction, this would have been slightly shorter and easier, which was the Roman preference
9. Sefaköy Road
South of Sefaköy village, a long section of Roman roadbed remains. To access it, drive along the dirt path from Sefaköy as far south as possible; the road ends at a spring (at 37.78463508067229, 32.1529133756098). From here, you continue on foot for another 2 kilometers.
Over 100 meters of Roman road are evident on the plateau, as is obvious in satellite photos of the terrain. Here is the approximate midsection of the road: 37.778661213206036, 32.158637847980955. At the pass, we noticed several cut stones scattered about, suggesting a built monument once marked the road’s high point. About 100 meters south of the highest point was an undatable spring and cistern with an entrance built from cut stones. The ancient road continued directly south to modern Erenkaya, but the modern road takes a much different route.
10. Kilistra Road
In the middle of Kilistra (now called Gökyurt), a section of Roman road was cut directly into the rock bed. As you approach the town from the north, it tees at the main junction (at 37.667054282848596, 32.21139984060808). At that point, the Roman road continued straight, ascending on the bedrock up to the bluff. The area along the road was quarried for stones, likely for other sections of the road.
11. Lystra Mound
The branch road ended at Lystra. Excavations at the tell began in 2025, and a new fence prohibits visitors from accessing the mound.
Bonus: If you continue on Paul and Barnabas’ route from Lystra to Derbe along the Roman road, see the article by Bob Wagner and Mark Wilson, “Why Derbe? An Unlikely Lycaonian City for Paul’s Ministry,” Tyndale Bulletin 70 (2019): 55–84, available at https://www.tyndalebulletin.org/article/27712.