I was privileged to work in the Middle Byzantine rock-cut church of Meryemana during the summers of 2008 and 2009, funded by The Florida State University's Council on Research & Creativity. Meryemana has suffered from erosion and geologic instability but retains approximately 2/3 of its original interior fresco program. Close examination of the frescos over two summers allowed for the identification of several previously-unidentified images and corrected several previous mis-identifications.
Sanctuaries in Byzantine churches were closed to women, yet the sanctuary of Meryemana retains depictions of eight female saints--a number unequaled in any other rock-cut church. The decorative program of the south apse, vault and wall of the church features depictions of Anastasia, the Archangel Michael, Paraskeve, Kyriake, John the Baptist, John the Theologian and the Prophet Daniel. The grouping together of these images led me to connect this part of Meryemana's decorative program with the Apocalypse of Anastasia, a Middle Byzantine apocalytpic text. The text describes the spiritual journey of the nun Anastasia, who dies, is taken on a tour of Hell by the Archangel Michael and witnesses events featuring the saints with whom she is depicted in Meryemana. None of the surviving copies of the Apocalypse are illustrated. I suggest that the southern wall, vault and apse of Meryemana functions as an illuminated Apocalypse, evoking the familiar story by depicting the main characters, grouped together in one section of the church.
This summer, with continued funding from FSU's Council on Research & Creativity, we move away from Meryamana to look for other depictions of Anastasia in Cappadocian rock-cut churches. We will explore the rock-cut churches of Göreme, Ilhara and Soğanlı. Some are now enclosed in state-run Open Air Museums, some remain on private lands.
Four FSU graduate students--Stephanie, Brad, Sarah and Chris--will accompany me this summer. They have planned a strategy of attack that is breath-takingly thorough and precise, targeting some 80 churches. Their admirable plan is unfortunately almost certain to be derailed at our first stop. Cappadocia is an imprecise land, and the rock-cut churches, preserved in varying degress of erosion or collapse, are difficult to locate and, when found, are frequently inaccessible. It will be a summer of quick thinking, of adapting well-laid plans to suit the circumstances or of jettisoning them altogether and simply figuring out what to do next. We will look for images of Anastasia, of the Archangel Michael grouped with other saints, and for solitary images of John the Theologian. Finding any of these---or not finding any-- will allow me to further contextualize the fresco program of Meryemana. A preliminary article based on work done during 2008-09 is forthcoming in Eastern Christian Art vol.7, 2011. This summer's findings will enable me to write an in-depth publication.
We will travel by foot, bus and car. We will read maps, use compasses when the maps prove inaccurate and will become comfortable with being lost. We will spend our days climbing the slippery volcanic-ash slopes, fording rivers and streams, and will learn (quickly) how to fall backward and slide on our bottoms rather than on our faces. We will not squeal and run about when we disturb bats, mice, and the many pigeons who make their homes in the rock-cut structures. We will avoid ravines, snakes and thorny plants, and will gamely negotiate the challenges posed by the lack of both trees and bathrooms.
We are fortunate to be able to return every night to the Kirkit Pension in Avanos and to Osman, our gracious host, who is remarkably informed on the location of little-known sites, and who remains preternaturally calm in the face of almost anything.
Subsequent entries will be posted by Stephanie, Brad, Sarah and Chris. I am very lucky to have them with me. Their dedication, their willingness to take on responsibilities and to do the mundane chores, their diverse knowledge of the art and languages are indispensible. We will undoubtedly learn a great deal and we will undoubtedly have many adventures--hopefully none of them apocalyptic.
We hope you enjoy following our progress; for appropriately byzantine reasons we cannot allow comments.
Lynn
Lynn Jones
Assistant Professor
Department of Art History
Florida State University
