Goreme Open Air Museum - Kapadokya Kafası

Göreme Açık Hava Müzesi

CHRISTIANITY in CAPPADOCIA

The very first Christians were always had been persecuted in these lands by someone. That's why St. Paul is really important figure for the Christians in Cappadocia. We don't have any kind of evidence that he ever passed or stayed in here, but we know that he made a huge impact for the people who lived in Cappadocia for centuries.

Therefore, Roman Empire was against to the system change for long years. That's the reason they persecuted the Christians at the beginning. Finally people had to find a solution and Cappadocia have become one of the best place in the world to protect your life. With this awarness people started to come to Cappadocia with small groups and started to create their own societies.

Especially during the Arabian Invasion times, there weren't too many suitable places like Cappadocia. Cristians stayed inside of the underground cities, in the middle of the valleys. Basically they tried their best to survive from these attacks. After these attacks and the invasions were over, they started to form the one of the best branch of art.
Cappadocian Art, influenced Renaissance in Europe.

There are two different painting styles can be seen in Goreme Open Air Museum

1. Sekko / Tempera: This is a style of red root paint directly put on the wall. They didn't use any kind of plaster underneath, so most of the drawings are sketchy.

2. Fresco: In this style they used a plaster underneath of their drawings,so that's why they did make the most impressive figures..

As some last words, names of the churches around Cappadocia & Goreme Open Air Museum given by the local people. When they first built definitely they did have different names.

GOREME OPEN AIR MUSEUM

St. Bazil Apple St. Barbara Snake Pantokrator Malta Cross Dark St. Catherine Sandals Buckle

St. Bazil Church

Name: St. Basil Church
Date(s): 11^th century A.D.
Summary: One of the best church where you can see burials on the ground.

Apple Church

Name: Apple Church
Date(s): 11^th & 12^th century A.D.
Summary: The name comes from, church used to be inside of an apple garden. You can see great frescos inside of this church.

St. Barbara Church

Name: St. Barbara Church
Date(s): 11^th century A.D.
Summary: You can see both sekko and fresco painting styles together.

Snake Church

Name: Snake (Onuphrius) Church
Date(s): 10^th century A.D.
Summary: There is a great drawing of St. George ve St. Theodore slaying the Dragon scene.

Pantokrator Church

Name: Pantokrator Church
Date(s): Unknown.
Summary: The name comes from in the main apse, there is Jesus Christ fresco.

Malta Cross Church

Name: Malta Cross Church
Date(s): Unknown.
Summary: There is a quite a big Maltese Cross painted on the wall so that where the name comes from.

Dark Church

Name: Dark Church
Date(s): 11^th to 13^th century A.D.
Summary: The best protected church in the Goreme Open Air Museum. You have to pay extra fee to enter but it worths every single penny.

St. Catherine Chapel

Name: St. Catherine Chapel
Date(s): 11^th century A.D.
Summary: It's under restoration since 2020.

Sandals Church

Name: Sandals Church
Date(s): 11^th to 13^th century A.D.
Summary: It is like little Dark Church.

Buckle Church

Name: Buckle Church
Date(s): 9^th - 10^th - 11^th century A.D.
Summary: One of the biggest church you can find in Cappadocia. It is a must.

Biblography

* POYRAZ, Ergün "İsa ve Havarileri", Tanyeri Kitapevi, Ankara, 2014
* UYSUN, Mustafa "The Guide to Iconography in the Rock-Cut Churches of Cappadocia", Doğuş Ofset, Kayseri, 2014

Tours & Excursions________________________

Red Tour / Regional Tour

Green Tour / Ihlara Tour

Blue Tour / Soganli Tour