Goreme Open Air Museum

Goreme Open Air Museum

By the end of 2nd century a large Christian community hd formed in Cappadocia. It is known that there were two bishoprics at that time , one in Kayseri, which, for a long time, continued to be a Christian center in the region, and the other in Malatya. In the 3rd century, priests with good character changed the region into a lively center of Christian activity. In the 4th century Cappadocia became known as the land of the three saints: The Great St. Basil, Bishop of Kayseri; his brother St.Gregory of Nyssa, and St.Gerorgy of Nazianus. These three men created a new unity in Christian thought, and many of St.Basil’s thoughts and actions are still important today. An example of his doctrine is his advice to a Christian who had only one piece of bread in a time of famine. He supposedly told the Christian he should give half of his bread, secluded settlements far away from villages and towns. Daily worship was carried out undertone supervision of preacher. These groups, however were not separated, privileged ones like similar groups in Egypt and Syria. St.Basil is important in that he introduced worship within the community in the churches of Cappadocia. Goreme Open Air Museum is the places where this kind of religious education was started. The same model was then introduced in Soganli, Ihlara and Aciksaray.

Church Architecture in Goreme

The one nave barrel-vaulted plan common for Goreme’s churches was the most convenient architectural style for the religious communities and those living in seclusion in the area. These building were also seen as suitable areas for graves. The transversal rectangular plan originated in Mesopotamia  and it is likely that these buildings were constructed for groups of foreigners settling in the area.  In Goreme, the only church built with two naves is the  church of St.Eustathios; however the churches in Soganli and Ihlara quite often feature two naves. Buildings conforming to the basilica plan with three naves are also rare in Goreme, this being a preferred technique for the Bishopric churches such as Durmus Kadir. These churches were big and the architecture very ornate. That is why this style was not popular in rocky areas.

Painting Techniques

Two types of painting techniques were used in the churches. The first, that had no undercoat of plaster, was applied directly to the bare rock using the roots of the vegetables. In this kind of painting, which can more be seen in the Early Byzantine churches and chapels, one can find decorations such as the Maltese cross and geometrical and floral designs.