Yesterday we spent our first day in the field, hiking the steep, tourist-cluttered hills of the Göreme Open Air Museum, visiting approximately fifteen rock-cut churches. We were surrounded on all sides by amazing vistas and Cappadocia’s unique landscape. First we trekked uphill to El Nazar, a free-standing rock-cut formation outside of the museum proper. After this introduction to a relatively standardized fresco program, we marched onward to the open air museum. We stooped, crawled, and climbed to access the many churches.
The vibrant frescoes and precisely-carved "architecture" awed us as we entered and studied one church after the other. We spent the most time in Tokali Kilise, the largest church in Göreme which features extensive frescoes of lapis and gold. Tokali Kilise also contains an enchanting image of the Eleousa, or Virgin of Tenderness, an iconographical type of the Theotokos (Mother of God) and Christ Child.
We are exhausted by our first eleven-hour day in the field yet excited for the week ahead. After drying our socks and airing out our rain jackets and backpacks, we are heading into Çavuşin and the surrounding area. Check in tomorrow for our next update!
