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HISTORICAL
SITES
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 GOREME
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 Göreme,
situated 5 km from Avanos, is fonud in the area surrounded
with valleys, within the Nevşehir-Ürgüp-Avanos triangle. The
old names for Göreme are Korama, Matiana, Maccan and Avcilar.
Since Göreme was referred as Korama in the earliest written
document known from the 6th century, it is thought that that
is the oldest name given to the place. In that document, it
is said that St Hieron was born in Korama at the end of the
3rd century, was martyred in Melitene (modern Malatya) with
his 30 friends and his hand was cut off and sent to his mother
in Korama. A very big depiction of St.Hieron of Korama is found
in the Tokalı (Buckle) Church in Göreme Open Air Museum.
It is believed that Göreme and its surroundings
were used as a necropolis by the people of Vanessa (Avanos)
in the Roman Periods. Both the monumental twin pillared
Roman tomb hollowed out into a fairy chimney in the centre
of Göreme and the presence of numerous tombs in the vicinity
support that idea.
Göreme an important Christian centre in the early
years of the Middle Ages, was a bishopric administered by Mokissos
near Aksaray in the 11th and 13th centuries. Despite the vast
numer of monasteries, churches and chapels in the vicinity
of Göreme, there are not many inscriptions bearing dates. For
this reason, these religious buildings are mainly dated according
to the iconography or architectural features.
The Goreme Open Air Museum
By the end of the 2nd century a large Christian
community had formed in Cappadocia. It is known that there
were two bishoprics at that time; one in Kayseri, which, for
a long time, continued to be a Christian center in the regon
and the other in Malatya.
In the 3rd century, priests with good character
changed theregion into a lively centre of Christian activity.
In the 4th century Cappadocia became known as the land of the
three saints; The Great St.Basil, Bishop of Kayseri; his brother
St.Gregory of Nyssa, and St. George of Nazianus. These three
men created a new unity in Christian thought, and many of St.Basil’s
thoughts and actions are still important dotay. An example
of his doctrine is the advice to Christian with one piece of
bread in a famine. He said that the Christians should give
half of the bread to a fellow believer and trust in God to
take care of him. St.Basil founded small, secluded settlements
far away from villages and towns. Daily worship was carried
out under the supervision of a preacher. These groups were
not, however, priveleged gropus seperated from the community
like similar communities in Egypt and Syria. St .Basil is important
in that he introdued worship within the community in the churches
of Cappadocia.
Greme open Air Museum is the place where this
kind of religious education was started. The same model was
then introduced in Soğanlı, Ihlara and Açıksaray.
Durmus Kadir Church
This basilica style church differs from the
others in that it has a pulpit in the centre, its columns are
thick and rectangular in shape, it has a baptistery and graves
hollowed out of the walls in the first esction. The church
dating back to the 6th and 7th centuries, displays some of
the most beautiful examples of carved decoratinos.
Yusuf Koc Church
As with the Durmuş Kadir Church, this church
has been named after the owner of the vineyard on which it
stands.It is cruciform in design, with two apses and originally
boasted four columns although these have now crumbled. This
church dates back to the 11th century.
El Nazar Church
This church is situated in the El Nazar valley,
about 800m to te right from the road to the Göreme Open air
museum. This church was carved from one piece of rock in a
“T” shape. It is cruciform with three apses, the main apse
opening up in the center where the barrel vaulted arms of the
crucigorm meet. The floor has been completely destroed, as
has part of the apse. The frescoes show scenes which follow
each other in chronological order. This church can be dated
to the end of the 10th century.
Scenes: Annunciation, Visitation, Nativity, Adoration
of the Magi, Flight into Egypt, Presentation of Jesus in the
Temple, Pursuit of Elizabeth, Baptism, Raising of Lazarus,
Transfiguration, Entry into Jerusalem, Crucifixion, Anastasis,
Ascension, and portraits of the saints.
Sakli (Hidden) Church
As this churc remained undiscovered until 1957
it was given the name of Saklı, which means hidden. It is situated
near the El Nazar Chruch. It is based on a broad rectangular
plan, the main section being divided into two bytwo columns
and three arches. It has three apses. The flat ceiling is decorated
with crosses and geometrical patterns. The frescoes in this
church are painted directly onto the rock, and not onto plaster.
Pieces of painted cloth found around the church have been analysed
and found to be cloth which was used instead of brushes to
paint the church. The architecture of the church resembles
the style found in Mesopotamia. This church dates from the
second half of the 11th century.
Scenes : Deesis, Annunciatino, Nativity, Presentatino
of Jesus in the Temple, Calling of John, Baptism, Transfiguration,
Crucufixion, Koimesis (Falling Asleep of St Mary the Virgin)
and portraits of the saints.
Kiliclar Kusluk Church (Of Mother Mary)
This church lies on a steep slope to the south
of the Kılıçlar Church, and behind the Tokalı (Buckle) church,
about 250m from the Open Air Museum. The rectangular nave is
covered by two barrel vaults of different widths and heights.
The church houses portraits of the saints, and four bible scenes.
Scnes : Deesis, Journey of Bethiehem, Nativity,
Crucifixion, Koimesis (Falling Asleep of St Mary the Virgin)
and the portraits of the saints.
Kiliclar Church
This church is sutiated 600 m NW of the Göreme
Open Air Museum in the Kılıçlar valley. It has a cruciform
plan with four columns and a central dome. The arms of the
cross are barrel vaulted. The ceilings in the West corners
are flat, whereas those in the East corners are domed. There
are three apses. The walls are richly decorated with frescoes
illustrating a long narration from the Bible. The church dates
back to the end of the 9th and the beginning of the 10th centuries.
Scenes : Prophetic Vision, Annunciation, Visitation,
Proof of the Virgin, Reproaches of Joseph, Nativity, Adoration
of the Magi, Joseph’s Dream, Flight into Egypt, Presentation
of Jesus in the Temple, Calling of St.John the Babptis, John
meeting Christ, Baptism, Jesus and Zacchaeus, Healing of the
Blind Man, Raising of Lazarus, Entry into Jerusalem, Last Supper,
Washing of the Disciples’ Feet, Communion of the Apostles,
Betrayal, Jesus before Annas and Caiaphas, Jesus before Pilate,
Denial by Peter, Way of the Cross, Crucifixion, Descent from
the Cross, Entombment, Anastasis, Women at the Tomb, Blessing
and Mission of the Apostles, Ascension, Pentecost, Koimesis
(Falling Asleep of St Mary the Virgin) and portraits of the
saints
Church Architecture In Goreme
The one nave barrel vaulted plan common for
Göreme’s churches was the most convenient architectural style
for the religious communities and those liveng in seclusion
in the area. These buildings were also seen as suitale areas
for graves. The transversal rectangular plan originated in
Mesopotamia, and it is likely that these buildings were consturcted
for groups of foreigners settling in the area.
In Göreme, the only church built with two naves
is the church of St.Eustathios, however, the churches in Soğanlı
and Ihlara quite often feature two naves. Building according
to the basilica plan with three naves is also rare in Göreme,
this being a preferred technique for the Bishopric churches
such as Durmuş Kadir. These churches were big and the architecture
was very ornate, and for this reason this style was not popular
in rocky areas.
Two different techniques have been used with
the wall paintings in the churches:
1. The direct application of red ochre paint
onto the bare rock. Examples of this technique can be seen
in the churches of St.Basil, Elmali and the Chapel of St.Barbara.
2. The application of a type of plaster made from gypsum, sand
and straw as a preparatory surface, the fresco technique was applied
on.
3. The subjects of the drawings are taken from the Bible and the
life of Jesus.
Tokali (Buckle) Church
This is the oldest known rock-cut church in
the region, and cmoprises of four sections: The Old Church
with one nave; the New Church; the Lower Church under the Old
Church; and the Parecclesion to the north of the New Church.
The single-naved, barrel-vaulted Old Church,
built in the 10th century, today acts as the entrance to the
New Church. Its apse collapsed when the New Church was added
to the east wing. Frescoes are to be found on the vault and
at the top of the walls. The life o Jesus is told on separate
panels on the vault, running from left to right.
Scenes : Portraits of the saints are in the center
of the vault. On the top panel of the right wing are Annunciation,
Visitation, Prof of the Virgni, Journey to Bethlehem, and Nativity.
On the top panel of the left wing are, Adoration of the Magi,
Massacre of the Innocents, Flight into Egypt, Presentation
of of Jesus in the Temple and Killing of Zacharias. On the
middle panel of the right wing are, Pursuit of Elizabeth, Calling
of St.John the Babtist, Preaching of John, John meeting Jesus,
Baptism and Marriage at Cana. On the middle panel of the left
wing are, Miracle of the Wine, Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes,
Calling of the Apostles, Healing of the Blind Man and Raising
of Lazarus. On the lower panel of the right wing are Entry
into Jerusalem, Last supper, Betrayal and Jesus before Pilate.
On the left lower panel of the left wing are Way of the Cross,
Crucifixion, Descent from the Cross, Entombment, Women at the
Tomb, Anastasis and Ascension. Beneath this panel are portraits
of the saints, and Transfiguration is painted over the entrance.
The New Church is transversally rectangular with
a simple barrel voult. On the east wall there are four columns
joined by arches, behind which there is a raised corridor in
front of the main apse and two side apses. On this barrel vaulted
nave is the story of Jesus in chronological order in mainly
bright red and blue colours. The dark bule colour serves to
distinguish the Tokalı Church from the other churches.
On the transversal nave are scenes from the life
of St.Basil, portraits of some saints and pictures of the Miracles
of Jesus. The Church is dated back to last decade of the 10th
century and the first decade of the 11th century.
Scenes: On the north wing of the vault are Annunciation,
Visitation, Proof of the Virgin, Nativity and Adoration of
the Magi. on the north wall of the vault are Joseph’s Dream
and Joruney to Bethlehem and below these in the niches are
portraits of 8 saints. Ar the very bottom are Calling of St.John
the Baptist, John meeting Jesus, Baptism, Presentation of Jesus
in the Temple, Calling of Matthew, Calling of the Apostles
and Marriage at Cana; on the west wing Flight into Egypt, Temptation
of Christ and Christ in the Temple when Twelve Years Old, on
the south wing of the vault are the First Diacons, Pentecost
and Blessing and Mission of the Apostles; on the south wall
of the vault are some unidentified angels, bleow are Healing
of the Nobleman’s Son, Raising the Daughter of Jairus, Healing
the Paralytic, Raising of Lazarus, Entry into Jerusalem and
Last Supper.On the west wing is Washing of the Disciples ‘Fet,
onthe main apse conch are Crucifixion, Descent from the Cross,
Women at the Tomb, Anastasis, on the front wall of the apse
are the First Diacons and Jesus and the Samaritan Woman; inside
the niche is Mother Mary and baby Jesus; and on the apses to
the north is Prophetic Vision and angels.
Nunnery And Monastery
The 6-7 storey rock mass to the left of the
museum entrance is known as the “Nunnery”. The dining hall,
kitchen and some rooms on the first floor, together with the
ruined chapel on the second level, can still be visited. The
church on the third storey, which can be reached through a
tunnel, has a cruciform plan, a dome with four columns and
three apses. The templon on the main apse is rarely found in
Göreme’s churches. Besides the fresco of Jesus, painted directly
onto the rock, designs pained in red can alse be seen. The
different levels of the monastery are connected by tunnels,
and “millstone doors”, such as those found in the underground
cities, were used to close off these tunnels in times of danger.
The tunnels connecting the levels of the Manostery,
to the right, hava eroded making it possible to only visit
some of the ground floor rooms.
Chapel Of St.Basil
This church is situated at the entrance to the
Göreme Open Air Museum. Graves are to be found in the columned
narthex area. The nave is transversally rectangular and barrel
vaulted, and has three apses situated on the left, long side
of the rectangular nave. The church dates back to the 11th
century.
Scenes: On the main apse is a portrait of Jesus,
and next to this is a portrait of Mary and baby Jesus. On the
nroth wall is picture of St.Theodore, while St.George and the
dragon are featured on the south wall. The paintings of St.Demetrius
and two famale saints cna also be seen.
Elmali (Apple) Church
This church featuring four columns, nine domes
and three apses is of the closed cruciform type. Access to
the church is through a tunnel on the north side. The original
entrance was on the south side.
The original decorations in this church consist
of geometrical designs and crosses painted in red ochre directly
onto the rock. Thes technique is also fonud in the chapels
of St.Barbara and St.Basil. The church has been dated back
to the mid 11th century and the beginning of the 12 th century.
Scenes : Deesis, Nativity, Adoration of the Magi,
Baptism, Raising of Lazarus, Transfiguration, Entry into Jerusalem,
Last Supper, Betrayal of Judas, Way of the Cross, Crucifixion,
Entombment, Anastasis, Women at the Tomb, Ascension and portraits
of the saints. There are also scenes from the Old Testament
(Pentateuch) such as the Hospitality of Abraham and Three Young
Men in the Fiery Fumace.
Chapel Of St.Barbara
This church is situated behind the rock housing
Elmali (Apple) Church. It has a cruciform plan, with two columns.
The north, south and west arms of the cruciform are barrel
vaulted, and the centre the east arm, and the east corners
are domed. There are a main, central apse and two side apses.
Motifs were painted in red direcetly onto the
rock. The walls and the dome are decorated in a variety of
motifs including geometrical patterns, mythological animals
and military symbols. The walls also have motifs resembling
stonework. Thes church dates back to the second half of the
11th century.
Scenes: On the main apse is Christ Pantocrator,
on the north arm are St.George and the Dragon and St Theodore,
and on the west arm is St.Barbara.
Yilanli (Snake) Church (Of St.Onuphrius)
The main section is transversally rectangular
and barrel vaulted, whereas the extended space to the south,
which houses the graves, has a flat ceiling. The apse was hollowed
out of the long wall on the left and the church was left uncompleted.
The entrance to the church is from the north. Portraits of
the respected saints of Cappadocia are on either side of the
vault. The church dates back to the 11th century.
Scenes : Opposite the entrance is a portrait
of Jesus holding the Bible in his left hand. The donor of the
church is pictured beside Jesus. On the east side of the vault
are St.Onesimus, St. George and the Dragon, St. Theodore, and
Helena holding the True Cross with her son Constantine the
Great. On the west of the vault is the long haired, naked St.Onuphoius
behind a palm tree, with St.Thomas in a sanctitying position
beside him, and St.Basil holding a book.
In the first century AD people calling themselves
“Hermits” lived in seclusion in the Egyptian deserts. Theydedicated
themselves to religion. In the 4th century. St.Paphnutius travelled
to Egypt to learn about the hermits way of life, and there
he met St.Onuphrius, whom the church was named after. St.Paphnutius
helped St.Onuphrius while he was dying, as he was the best
example of moral values and self control. St.Onuphrius is depicted
as naked, long haired and broad chested, and a palm tree is
in front of him.
Larder/Kitchen/Refectory
These three areas lie side by side and are connected
by passageways. The first section was used as a larder, with
recesses hollowed from the rock being used as storage spaces.
In the kitchen there is a “tandir”, a type of oven still found
in local village houses. The final section was the refectory.
A long table carved from the rock extends from the left of
the entrance. This would have seated 40-5/0 people. To the
right of the table is a winery hollowed in the floor used for
squashing grapes.
Karanlik (Dark) Church
To the north, a winding stairway leads into
the rectangular, barrel vaulted narthex of the Dark Church.
This church has a cruciform plan, the arms of which are cross
vaulted. There is a center dome, with four columns and three
apses. This church gets its name from the tiny window in the
narthex which only allows a small amount of light in. Due to
the absence of light the colours of the frescoes are still
vivid.
The church and the narthex are richly decorated
in scenes from teh Bible and the story of Jesus. As in Elmalı
(Apple) and Çarıklı churches there are also scenes from the
old Testament. The church dates back to the end of the 12th
and beginning of the 13th centuries.
Scenes : Deesis, Annunciation, Journey to Bethlehem,
Tativity, Adoration of the Magi, Baptism, Raising of Lazarus,
Transfiguration, Entry into Jerusalem, Last Supper, betrayal
of Judas, Crucifixion, Anastasis, Women at the Tomb, Blessing
and Mission of the Apostles, Ascension, Hospitality of Prophet
abraham, Three Young Men in the Fiery Furnace and protraits
of the saints.
Chapel Of St Catherine
Situated between the Karanlık (Dark) church
and the Çarıklı Church, the Chapel of St.Catherine has a free-cross
nave and narthex. The central bay is covered by a dome and
the cross arkms are barrel-vaulted. Its apse is closed by a
templon. Tne narthex has nine floor graves and two arcosolia
(burial niches).
Only in the nave of the chapel are some decorations
with figures. The pendentives are decorated with carvings.
The Chapel of St.Catherine, built by a donor named Anna, dates
back to the 11th century.
Scenes : Deesis in the apse with the templon,
below are Doctors of the Church (Gregory, Basil the Great and
John Chrysostom), on the south wall of the northem arm is St.George,
opposite St.Theodore, St.Catherine and other panels of saints.
Carikli (Sandals) Church
This two columned church (two other columns
being in the form of pillars), is cross vaulted, and has three
apses and four domes. The well preserved frescoes show the
life of Jesus, Hospitality of abraham, and images of the saints
and the donors of the church. Although it resembles The Karanlık
(Dark) and Elmalı (Apple) Churches, the scenes of Way of the
Cross and Descent from the Cross make this church different
from the others. The figures are generally large.
The footprints under the Ascension scene give
the church its name, which means “with sandal”. The church
dates back to the end of the 12th and the beginning of the
13th centuries.
The center dome houses a picture of Jesus the
Pantocrator with the busts of angels in the insets. On the
central apse is Deesis, on the north apse Mary and the Baby
Jesus and on the south apse, a picture of St Michael.
Scenes: Nativity, Adoration of the Magi, Baptism,
Raising of Lazarus, Transgiguration, Entry into Jerusalem,
Betrayal, Women at the Tomb, Anastasis, Ascension and portraits
of the saints.
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