Sille Neighborhood Sille's oldest residential area can be found in a mound of ruins that dates back to the 8th and 7th centuries B.C. Stone artifacts discovered from old architecture suggest that the area was inhabited by the Phrygian population during that time. It is believed that the city served as a wayside station along the Roman King Road, which went from Ephesus to Konya and then to Asia Minor. Saint Paul also visited this district during his journey through Anatolia. In the 4th century A.D., Ephesus lost its importance as a capital, while Istanbul gained more significance. However, Konya, located on the way to Jerusalem, remained an important station for pilgrims. One of the must-see attractions in Sille is the Aya Eleni Church, built by Helena, the mother of Constantine. Helena, the first Christian aristocrat, made numerous trips to Jerusalem during her lifetime to find the holy cross of Jesus. Along the way, she built churches, including this one, as a testament to her faith. Sille's history dates back to the 8th and 7th centuries B.C. when it was home to Phrygian residents. During the Roman period, Sille likely served as a wayside station on the King's Road from Ephesus to Konya, with Saint Paul even visiting the district during his travels through Anatolia. After the Turkish Seljuks took over Konya in 1071, many non-Muslim families fled the city, and some may have resettled in Sille due to its proximity. Sultan Kilic Arslan I evacuated the town in 1097 and moved the people to the mountains following a Crusader attack on Konya. The Crusaders later occupied both Konya and Sille. Surviving records from the time indicate that many Greeks who assisted in the army when Alexios I entered Konya around 1116-1118 eventually returned to Istanbul, resulting in a reduction in the non-Muslim population. Emperor Manuel of Byzantium besieged Konya in 1146 after defeating Sultan Mesud of Seljuk in a battle near Philomelion (Aksehir), and the Byzantine army burned down the suburbs of Konya. Various natural disasters, such as the plague outbreak in 1153, also had devastating effects on Konya's population. In the second half of the 19th century, Charles Texier visited the region and noted the presence of summer houses belonging to Armenians and Greeks. At the beginning of the 20th century, Treasury and Land Registry records showed that 56% of Sille's residents were Muslim, while 44% were non-Muslim. However, after 1923, the Christian population of Sille migrated to Greece due to a population exchange.