Cappadocia Tours

Half-way up on the vertical rock-face, well visible from the road is the facade of another church, Çavuşin Kilise. During the collapse of the plateau its atrium detached from the rest and cascaded into the valley, exposing some of the murals to the elements, like the now much damaged frescos of archangels Gabriel and Michael, painted in red. The present entrance is accessible by an airon staircase.

The Çavuşin Church preserves some of the best works of early Christian icon painting and depicts religious scenes from the New Testament: Annunciation, Visitation, Journey to Betlehem, The Birth of Christ, The Dream of Joseph, Flight to Egypt, The Death of Zaccharias, The Shepherds, The pursuit of Elisabeth, Curing of the Blind, Resurrection of Lazarus, Entry into Jerusalem, The Last Supper, The Betrayal, Crucifixion, Entombment, Christ descends into the inferno, Transfiguration and the Angels visit Joshue. Other murals portray the saints.

The dominant colors are reddish-brown and green, a combination common during the archaic period.

One mural commemorates an historical event, the visit of Emperor Nicephorus Focas in 965, in the company of Empress Theophano and Cesar Bardas, the emperor’s brother.

Portrayed in a lateral abside is the Armenian general Melias, with inscription in Armenian which caused some confusion among 19th century historians, some of whom attributed this church to the Armenians. In fact, Melias was portrayed only because his troops were fighting in alliance with the Byzantines. There have never been Armenian communities in the region.

Along the road to Avanos, three kilometers distant from Göreme, the village of Çavuşin is sheltered by a tall, perpendicular cliff, the surviving portion of an extensive rock slide that occurred sometimes between the 9th and 13th centuries. Weakened through erosion, split by frost and perhaps jarred by earthquakes, a large section of the plateau collapsed into the valley taking along hundreds of cave dwellings and a handful of chapels. Many of the present edifices have been built on top of the mound of rubble, probably rich in early Christian relics, now beyond reach.

Approaching Çavuşin, the first outstanding landmark is a massive solitary cliff dotted with jagged windows and gates, commonly called Çavuşin Castle because when viewed from a distance it does remind one of a medieval castle.

Overlooking the village, the Baptismal Church is also visible from far and there is no indication that it has ever been hidden. It was built, or rather hewn around 630, during a period of relative tranquility. Originally the facade featured four supporting columns of which only one survives. The church has three naves of which one has caved in, leaving its ornamental designs partly visible.

Known as Matiana during the Roman era this small village is located near the church-complex, among clusters of “fairy chimneys”, troglodyte dwellings many of which are incorporated in the white-washed houses. The inhabitants are using the vast caves for additional rooms.

During the first half of the 2nd century, Matiana was a bisahopric and all the monastic colonies in the neighborhood belonged to the diocese of the resident bishop. There are five rock-cut churches within and around the village, identified only by Turkish names. The Durmuş Church (7th century) is well preserved, including its altar and carved columns. Its rather intact state tends to suggest that the sancturary was not used for long. The churches of Ortamahalle, Bezirhane and Yusuf Koc date to the late 10th, or early 11th century. The Karabulut Church (Black Cloud Church) in the vicinity is worth visiting.

One of Avcilar’s contemporary attractions is the Göreme Alabaster and Onyx Workshop where the visitor may observe how a hunk of raw onyx turns into a beautiful object of art in the hands of the skilled craftsmen. They are always received with traditional Turkish hospitality.

Immediately left of the entrance of the Göreme open air museum, a tall, rugged cliff features a vast number of caves, windows, vaults and galleries that had once been the Rahibiler church, a nunnery which flourished between the 8th and 13th centuries.

Even today it is evident that the convent was very well organized and maintained. The apparently ten-story cliff comprises only three floors interconnected with stairways, galleries and secret causeways, the entrances of which were cleverly concealed. Judged by the size of the dormitories and the available seats in the refectory, the monastic colony could have accommodated 300 nuns. The four-domed church is adorned with 10th century murals of the archaic style with red as dominant color.

One of the third floor dormitories features a secret chamber with niches for icons and perhaps religious treasures.

The ground floor refectory has a single, rock-hewn table with benches and the customary bowl-shaped hollows for pressing grape. Adjoining the refectory is the one-time kitchen and pantry. Every part of the convent had once been connected by tunnels and stairways that could be blocked when necessary, using the large, heavy “millstones”, most of which are still extant.

The literally translated equal would be “Old Leg Church” but the origin of this curious name is not evident. The frescos belong to the early 11th century, portraying Mary and Christ.

When the original wooden floor of the church collapsed, an ancient burial site came to light, with rows of funeral vaults in the walls, hewn between the 8th and 12th centuries. According to an inscription on the eastern wall, the church was dedicated to Virgin Mary. A fresco on the same wall depicts a bible stand with writing: «The vault of Kesis Petrus, Prior of the Saint Theodocos Church”—a valuable historical document.

The dome of the church is decorated with a large portrait of Christ flanked by a pair of angels, a picture of Mary and a cross. The murals of the southern wall reveal events before the birth of Jesus, then the Birth of Jesus and the Bathing of the Infant Christ in the presence of the Three Shepherds. Another mural depicts the Dream of Joseph—the heavenly revelation of Herod’s plan to massacre the Jewish newborns that induced the Holy Family’s escape to Egypt.

The murals of the sotuhern wall show Christ’s Entry into Jerusalem, Mary with infant Christ in the company of angels, Apostle Peter’s Washing of the Foot, Jesus’ discourse on Mount Olives, Women mourners at Christ’s Tomb, three young Jewish men and Prophet Daniel among the lions.

Driving from Göreme toward Cavusin one cannot miss the eyecatching sight of a large, collapsed rock face featuring hundreds of cavities, windows and entrances, and a split church that has not yet been surveyed. It should have been hewn out of the tufa around 630. The area harbors many still buried churches.

Originally, the facade of this church featured four columns of which only one is still upright and of the three naves one has fallen into ruin.

The frescos belong to the epoch of King Basileios II and Constantin VIII, comprising the years between 906 and 1025, as the unkown artist has inscribed on the wall to the delight of present historians. The fresco of the dome in the main apse features a pair of angels in the company of apostles Peter and Paul, flanked by four bishops on either side. The dome of the northern apse shows Holy Mary holding the infant Jesus. She is at­tended by Prophet Zaccariah and two angels. A multitude of medallions portray the apostoles and saints.

CHURCHES BENEATH THE TREE (Daniel and Pantanessa)

The once magnificent Church of Daniel is in bad shape permitting entry only through a hole in its domed ceiling. Facing north, the original entrance was blocked by a landslide in the distant past. Painted between the 5th and 11th centuries the surviving murals depict the Annunciation and Prophet Daniel among the lions. The adjoining Church of Pantanessa displays a well-preserved fresco showing Christ’s Ascension being witnessed by the apostles.

This tiny chapel has neither a registered, nor a local name. The interior decoration resembles to those in the Firkatan and the Barbara Church. Art experts believe that the decorative bands were painted by the same artist who also worked in the two other sanctuaries. In front of the altar, under the cupola, are two faces, but their identity is not known.