Kurşunlu Mosque (Külliye of Damat İbrahim Pasha Külliye-Center):The Külliye was constructed by Damat
İbrahim Pasha, who was from Nevşehir in 18th Century. The structure of Külliye is composed of a mosque, a theological
school, a library, a youth school, a charitable establishment and a bathhouse. The mosque which is located to the southeast of
the Külliye was constructed in the year 1726. The exterior part
of the mosque displays a plain appearance while the interior
sections are decorated with the embroideries reflecting the
characteristics of the Tulip Period of the Ottoman Empire.
Hacı Bektaş Veli Dervish Convent and Kulliye (Hacı Bektaş):Hacı
Bektaş Veli is a famous Turkish - Islam intellect and thinker
who lived in the 13th century. Having a brilliant and superior
intellect and personality, Hacı Bektaş Veli had been initially
educated in the culture society of the great Turkish
intellectual and thinker Hodja Ahmet Yesevi, the patron saint of
the Turkish lands and had attained the broad accumulation of
knowledge and a wide understanding of the world in Horasan where
numerous Turkish scientists had grown up. After he had roamed
every city and every village of Central Anatolia, he had founded
a Belief and Education Center in Suluca Karahöyük in order to
preserve the Turkish traditions and customs and had educated
numerous students. Also known as a patron saint in the Janissary
society, Hacı Bektaş Veli had assisted to the obtaining of the
Turkish-Islam Union in Anatolia.
Dervish Convent and Kulliye (Hacı Bektaş):The Kızılca
Halvet (suffering house) and its premises was constructed in
14th century by Hacı Bektaş Veli and attachments had been
constructed in the following years. The Dervish Convent was
restored in 19th century; the structure complex had been
overhauled in between 1959 - 1964 by the Charitable Foundations
General Directorate and had been arranged as a museum in 1964.
Hacı Bektaş Veli Mausoleum (House of Saint
- Hacı Bektaş):The sides of the mausoleum had been composed
of side by side three arched eyvan. The entrance to the House of
the Saint is from a double door with iron bars under a great
archway.
Tokalı
(Buckled) Church (Göreme):The church had been located in the
Göreme Valley and is the oldest known rock church of the region.
The church is made up of four separate sections; single nef Old
Church, New Church, the church under the Old Church and the side
chapel to the north of the new church. The old church was dated
to be constructed to the beginnings of the 10th century.
Although the old church is understood as the entrance section of
the new church, the structure is original with its single nef,
cradle vault structure. The depictions of the Saints, the Joyful
Tiding, The Visit, The proof of the Virginity, the voyage to
Beytüllahim, the birth, the worship of the three astrologers,
the massacre of the innocent children, the escape to Egypt, the
presentation of Jesus to the temple, the descent of Jesus to
Hell, The ascend of Jesus to the heaven and similar depictions
are located in the church.
The new church is planned as rectangular in width and has a
simple cradle vault structure. Inside its nef of cradle vault,
the cycle of Jesus is processed in chronological order with
colors of blue and red are frequently used. The Lapis blue is
the most important property distinguishing the Tokalı (Buckled)
church from other churches.
The width wide nef contains depictions
displaying the life of Saint Basil, depictions of various saints
and mostly the miracles of Jesus. The church is dated to be
constructed to the late 10th century and the early 11th century.
Monastery of Priests and Nuns (Göreme):The 6 - 7 floored
rock mass located to the left of the entrance of the Göreme Open
Air Museum is known as "The Monastery of the Nuns“. The dining
hall, the kitchen and some of its rooms located at the first
floor and the collapsed chapel at the second floor are available
for visit. The church located at the third floor (accessible via
a tunnel) has a transversal dome, four pillars and three
abscissas. The frescos of Jesus which are directly painted on
the rocks are adorned with red adornments.
St. Basil Chapel (Göreme):The chapel is located at the
entrance of the Göreme Open Air Museum. The church is dated to
the 11th century. A portrait of Jesus, depictions of Mother Mary
and Child Jesus, depiction of Saint Theodore, depictions of
Saint George fighting a dragon while riding a horse could be
seen inside the church.
Elmalı Church (Göreme):The church is located inside Göreme
Open Air Museum and has a simple plan. Under the preserved
frescos, geometric decorations from the icono-classic period had
been revealed. According to those decorations, it is understood
that the church had been constructed in the 2nd period. The
frescos depict the portions of the life of Jesus. The colors
used in the church are blue, red and its shades, brown, yellow
and white and the details of the clothing in the frescos are
stated.
The baptism of Jesus, The crucifixion, the alteration, the last
supper, the resurrection of Lazarus, the ascend of Jesus to the
skies are the major themes depicted at the frescos. The
architectural elements such as pillars and pillar titles display
the depictions of the saints stated in the bible and some of the
prophets. The church attains the name from the apple a garden
surrounding the church and the frescos inside the church is
dated to the 2nd century.
Yılanlı (Snaked) Church (Göreme):The church is located
inside Göreme Open Air Museum. The church contains the
depictions of the Saints that are respected in Cappadoccia and
is dated to be constructed to the 11th century. Some of the
depictions in the frescos are as follows: Jesus holding a bible
and accompanied by the Bani of the Church, Saint Onesimus, Saint
George and saint Theodore battling the dragon, Saint Oniphrius
naked, with long hair and holding a palm tree in front.
Dark Church (Göreme):The church is located inside Göreme
Open Air Museum. The church only obtains light from a little
window at the narthex and therefore is almost dark. The name of
the church is derived from this fact. The structure is entirely
adorned with frescos. The church has the most intact frescos of
the region.
Some of the themes depicted at the frescos are as follows:The
protection of the tomb of Jesus by Angels, the crucifixion, the
begging of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, the last supper of
Jesus with 12 apostle, the four saints who wrote the bible
together with Jesus, the birth and baptism of Jesus, etc.
Çarıklı
Church (Göreme):The church is located inside Göreme Open Air
Museum. The name „crackle church“is assumed to be given because
of the foot prints that are found under the depiction of the
ascension of Jesus to the sky. The church is dated to be
constructed at the late 12th century and early 13th century. The
Cycles subjecting the life of Jesus, The Pentateuch scene
displaying the hospitability of Prophet İbrahim and the
depictions of Saint Bani are well preserved. Although looks
similar to the Elmalı and Karanlık (Dark) Church, the scenes
depicting the walking of Jesus to the Crucifixion and the scene
depicting the taking of Jesus from the cross are the different
properties of the church.
The depictions of the birth, the worship of the three
astrologers, the baptism, the resurrection of Lazarus,
metamorphism, the voyage to Jerusalem, the treachery, the women
following the gray tomb, the ascend of Jesus to the sky and
Saints are present in the church.
Saint Barbara Chapel (Göreme):The church is located
behind the rock blocks where the Elmalı Church is constructed.
Rich geometric patterns, mythological animals and military
symbols are painted to the walls and the dome. The walls also
contain the depictions of Jesus Pantokreator (Ruler of the
World) and Saints Georgia, Theodoros and Barbara. The church is
dated to the second half of the 2nd century.
Durmuş Kadir Church (Göreme):The church is in the style
of basilica and is composed of a throne of the Priest, large
rectangular pillars, place for the baptism event and various
shaped tombs engraved in the walls of first section. The church
accommodates the most beautiful samples of rock embossed
decorations and is dated to be constructed in the 6th and 7th
century.
El-Nazar Church (Göreme):The church is
located inside the El - Nazar valley, 800 meters away from the
road to the right of the Göreme - Museum road. The church is
dated to be constructed to the late 10th century. The church
contains depictions such as; the joyful tiding, the visit, the
birth, the worship of the three astrologers, the escape to
Egypt, The presentation of Jesus to the Temple, the persuasion
of Elizabeth, the baptism etc.
Saklı (Hidden) Church (Göreme):As the church was
discovered in the year 1957, the church was named as the “Hidden
Church“. The church is located in the vicinity of El - Nazar
Church. The paints adorning the church are directly painted to
the main rock body, not on plaster. Painted cloth pieces are
found in the surrounding area of the church, and after the
executed analysis, it is discovered that the cloths was used as
the brush in the painting procedure of the church. The structure
of the church is similar to the architecture tradition of the
Mesopotamian church architecture. The paintings of the church
are as follows; the joyful tiding, the birth, the presentation
of Jesus to the temple, the assignment of the Baptist Yahya,
metamorphism, etc.
Kılıçlar (Swords) Church (Göreme):The
church is located in the Kılıçlar Valley, approximately 600
meters northeast of the Göreme Open Air Museum. The church is
richly adorned with frescos and contains a long bible cycles.
The church is dated to be constructed to the late 9th century
and early 10th century. Inside the church there are depictions
such as; the aspect of the prophets, the Joyful Tiding, the
Visit, The accusation of Mary by Yusuf, the birth, the dream of
Yusuf, the escape to Egypt, the baptism, Jesus and Zakkeus, the
cure of the blind man, the washing of feet, the treachery etc.
Meryem Ana (Mother Mary) Church (Kılıçlar Kuşluk Church)
(Göreme):The church is located on the steep hill which is
located to the south of Kılıçlar (Swords) Church at an
approximate distance of 250 meters to the open air museum behind
the ridge of Tokalı Church. The church contains the depictions
of the saints and the four scenes of the bible cycles. The
church also contains the depictions as, deesis, the voyage to
Beytüllahim, the birth, the crucifixion of Jesus, the dearth of
Mother Mary and the depictions of the saints.
Saint Eustathios Church (Göreme):The church is located in
between the Tokalı Church and Mother Mary Church. The church
contains frescos based on the bible. The church is dated to the
early 10th century and there is a carved inscription stating the
dates to 1148 - 1149.
Tatlarin Church (Acıgöl):The church is located at the
side of the hill under which the Tatlarin underground city is
located. The scenes at the well - protected frescos are
separated from each other with concrete. The color used in the
decoration of the ground is dark gray, and the colors used at
the frescos are purple, mustard and red.
The depictions found in the church are the Mary and the child,
the metamorphosis, the descend of Jesus to hell, The entrance to
Jerusalem and depictions of nine saints.
Tağar Church (St. Theodora Church-Ürgüp):The church is
located in the Yeşilöz village of the Ürgüp district, 16.5
kilometers away from Ürgüp - Kayseri highway. The upper gallery
is reached via a stairway and therefore it is the unique sample
among the Cappadoccian churches. The frescos of the church are
generally well protected and the church is decorated by the
styles of three artists. The church was constructed in the name
of Saint Theodora and is dated to be constructed between 11th -
13th centuries. There are the aspects of the prophets, aspects
of the apostles, Deesis, the Joyful Tiding, the crucifixion of
Jesus and the aspects of the saints inside medallions.
Orthodox Church (Derinkuyu):It was built between in
1858-1860. The restoration of the church and its surrounding
adjacent to Derinkuyu underground city have still been under
construction.