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Goreme Town
Goreme,
which
hide among fairy chimneys,
is the heart of
Cappadocia. Best
place for accommodation. First
period settlement within the
region reaches to Roman period
from Christianity. Ortahane,
Durmus Kadir, Yusuf Koc and
Bezirhane churches in Goreme,
houses and shafts engraved from
rocks till to Uzundere,
Baglidere and Zemi Valley
carries the mystical side of
history today. You can easly
hike and explore many
rock
churches in the amazing valleys
of Goreme Town.
Goreme Open air museum
This is the one place that
everybody who comes through
Cappadocia
goes. It's a nicely packaged
instant version of what the
whole area has to offer and it's
a good place to start.
The open
air museum is about 2 kms from
the town of Goreme itself and
you can comfortably walk it.
Walking in
Cappadocia
is usually fun anyway. As you
approach you'll pass the bus
park on your right, complete
with its row of souvenir shops,
and on your left the
buckle
church (Tokali kilise), one of
the finest examples of frescoes
in the area. Entrance is
included when you buy your
ticket at the main gate so
you'll probably end up visiting
it on the way out of the museum.
Try not to forget it.
It is impossible to give details
of all the churches and rooms in
the valley here as you could
easily spend half a day
wondering about and looking at
them all. Basically what you'll
find is the remains of a
monastic community who made
their home in this valley. Most
people are struck by the
frescoes and the quality of
these varies from excellent to
very tatty. Keep an eye open for
the strange symbolic decorations
in some of the smaller f the smaller f the smaller f the smaller
churches
and chapels. Bear in mind when
buying your ticket that the
Karanlik church (recently
restored and with the freshest
frescoes) is not included in the
price and will cost you extra.
Over the last 2 years or so an
extensive protection program has
been put into place. The
churches are very prone to
erosion and to prevent this they
are slowly being covered with a
resilient artificial surface
designed to halt their gradual
destruction by nature. This
looks kind of weird at first
glance but it makes sense.
The frescoes that many tourists
come to see can be divided up
into Pre and Post-Iconoclastic.
The earlier works rely entirely
on symbolism to communicate
their messages and may look
childish and simple in
comparison to later works. Their
form is a result of the early
church's disapproval of the
portrayal of the human form in
religious
art.
The works which postdate the
resolution of the Iconoclastic
controversy (mid 9th Century)
are much more figurative. It is
interesting to compare them and
realize that both styles are
telling the same stories of
Christ and the Saints.
GOREME NATIONAL PARK
The national park consists of
valleys with the world-famous
rock formations of
Cappadocia,
the conical shaped rocks shaped
over centuries out of eroded volcanic
stone, and known as Fairy
Chimneys.
In addition to the fascinating
landscape formed by the volcanic
tuff and cave dwellings, there
are also important Byzantine
churches, which reflect the
history of religious art in that
period. Because of the
geological characteristics of
the area, and the fact that it
was secluded, people living here
could hide themselves away from
the various battles taking place,
as well as from the authority of
the central administration.
Monastery life in the area
began in the 3rd and 4th
centuries, and grew quickly.
There are the remains of
monuments, churches, chapels,
dining halls, monk cell alcoves,
depots, and wine production
places all decorated with
frescos. The nearby villages of
Urgup, Uchisar, Cavusini and
Zelve still reflect traditional
life and agricultural practices
of Goreme’s past. That, and the
unique morphological structure
of Goreme, is the main
attraction to the area.
Rock Churches of Goreme
Cappadocia
Pictures
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