The Zelve Open Air Museum is much smaller than the Göreme and Ihlara, and while the hollowed out bodies of many churches still exist there, very little paintings survive. We had a great time working our way around the semicircular valley, crawling through tunnels, and made acquaintances with the valley dog who led us through some of the more confusing trails.
After not being able to locate anything resembling the rock-cut church of St. Simeon, Chris studied our numerous maps and was able to locate a possible match a kilometer down the road in Paşabağı. Paşabağı is a smaller outcropping of fairy-chimneys and rock-cut churches. We were immediately directed to one of the rock-cut edifices containing frescoes by an itinerate carpet salesman, but we were once again stymied, as this also didn’t match our plans. Another rock-cut church bearing frescoes is located in the center of this valley, but it was locked. Yet, from what we could tell by pulling ourselves up to its gated door, it appeared as though it was indeed our St. Simeon church. We probably confused the local farmers who were tilling their fields around us as Chris shimmied and stretched his arms as far as they could reach into the gated door to photograph the inside as Sarah buttressed him from below. Feeling satisfied by our morning-long search, we trekked on to Göreme for a late lunch of gözleme, a kind of Turkish quesadilla.
Yesterday, we joined Brad and Dr. Jones as we expanded our search of rock-cut churches in Soğanlı, southeast of Avanos. The drive was harrowing, but Dr. Jones maneuvered the road hazards (children, cows, tractors, French tourists) like a professional. Here, the topography changed again as we ventured over one of the many plateaus into a green valley populated by many herds of sheep and cows that grazed on the vertical reaches of the mountain sides. Tourism was less developed here, but we were still greeted by friendly locals who served us tea (çay) and more delicious gözleme.
Here we visited a few rock-cut churches situated around a mountainside. The carving of these churches was very impressive, and one even had an exterior dome. The final rock-cut church that we visited was St. Barbara. An Eleousa donned a central lunette in the narthex, and the sanctuary was filled with familial iconography. Dr. Jones explained that the iconographic system suggests that this was a commemorative monument for a child.
The apse includes an enormous enthroned Christ surrounded by the symbols of the four evangelists. Below, two tetramorphs (seraphim surrounded by the evangelical symbols whose wings are dotted with eye motifs) flank the throne.
For me, St. Barbara’s contained some of the most beautiful frescoes I’ve yet seen here in Cappadocia. We also made friends with some Jandarm, the Turkish military—look forward to the upcoming blooper reel for photos!
