Guide
Perre — also written Pirin — lies in the Örenli quarter of central Adıyaman, five kilometres out along the Malatya road. It was one of the five great cities of the Commagene kingdom, and its importance was geopolitical: it stood on major routes. Ancient writers, the Ministry notes, praised the quality of its water and described the city as a resting place for caravans, travellers and armies. The Roman fountain that water flowed from is still in use.
In the Byzantine period the city linked the ancient west to Persia and came to be called Hierapolis, the holy city. Its standing in church affairs is shown by its presence at the council held in Nicaea, today's İznik, in AD 325.
Perre has the largest cemetery in the region, and its rock-cut tomb chambers are the feature most visitors come for. The same area holds a cistern, wine-pressing installations and Byzantine wall construction. Excavation has also brought to light mosaic floors, which the Ministry's page dates to the 5th century BC. The site is reached on the college minibuses from the city centre; the address is Örenli Mahallesi, Merkez, Adıyaman.
