Of course, we were so lucky that after a 30-minute drive from downtown, we arrived at the site, and the guard told us it was closed. The “Seven Sleepers” legend involves seven Christian boys whom the Roman Emperor Trajan persecuted, then escaped to a cave and slept there for 309 years. This is one of several locations that claim to be that cave. Inside the main cave – also known as Ahl Al Kahf (Cave of the People) – are eight smaller tombs that are sealed, though one has a hole in it, through which you can see a creepy collection of human bones. Above and below the cave are the remains of two mosques. A large, slightly unkempt Byzantine cemetery is about 500m west of the cave.
