Relics of Christianity in Turkey - Part 1

CAVE AND UNDERGROUND CITIES OF CAPPADOCIA Lily Ramirez, USA How to prepare yourself for a visit to Cappadocia? On the way to Turkey Goreme National Park we stopped near the restaurants and souvenir shops, where postcards and posters of rock churches and fairy chimneys presents us with unrealistic views of peaks, though covered with red and gold caps. It took us 4 hours to cross the Konya plain and the mountain range Hassan. Finally, we stopped to eat something more substantial than a warm apple juice. Caravanserai We visited one of the cities, where Marco Polo stayed during his journey along the Silk Road. Caravanserai in Sultanhani was built in the XIII century, it is the largest in Turkey. There are separate rooms for animals and special rooms for the entire caravan. It was designed this way (with arches and all sorts of such a thing) that I first thought it was a cathedral or a church that was built in a fenced area. This "hotel" was located just across from the gift shop. We and our driver had to have rest. The structure is in good condition, so that one could make a few good shots. But best of all was that nobody else in the hotel was not, and the whole place belonged to us alone! Sultanhani from the caravanserai, we continued our way over the region, which since Roman times known as Cappadocia. Best place to start research in the region with open-air museum, which is located in Goreme National Park. This museum is a large number of cut in the rock houses and churches that were established in 4000 BC Here are the most beautiful medieval cave churches by Orthodox monks. We were amazed at the beauty of paintings inside the churches. In every church there is a room of the priest, altar, kitchen, stone table and chairs, wine cellar, some even have the arches and columns that were created using kappodokiyskoy techniques of stone carving and wall murals. We visited at least three cave churches and found that perfect shot murals are obtained even with the flash off. Through any of the windows of the cave is quite light. It is a miracle of design, I think. Many cave churches decorated with murals on the Gospel themes, which are considered a treasure of Byzantine art. Church of St. Barbara surprised us with its vaults. In the Dark of the church is the image of God Almighty, as well as many other figures of saints and Byzantine frescoes, which date from the year 900-1200 AD All images are in excellent condition. By an irony of these images have been saved, after the caves became a haven for the local pigeons. How? Pigeon droppings covered the murals and preserve them for future generations. To murals with the motives of the New Testament clear of pigeon droppings, it took 14 years. These frescoes are among the most well-preserved works of art in all of Cappadocia. There is also the Apple Church, so named because it used at the entrance to the cave grew apple trees. Unfortunately, the superstitious locals in fear of the evil eye hollowed out eyes of saints on the frescoes. Read more: