Church of St Theodore, Cappadocia

The Church of St Theodore in Yesiloz, Cappadocia, is cut deep into the rock on the village outskirts. From the outside there is nothing to prepare the visitor for the spectacular size of the Church and for the quality of its frescoes, which have survived in a better condition than other Churches in the area. The frescoes in this Church date back between the mid-11^th and mid-12^th century.

St Theodorehas three apses. The north side has a huge image of Christ, enclosed within an oval, depicting scenes from His life, including His birth, Crucifixion and Annunciation. The east side has a Deesis with images of the archangels Gabriel and Michael, while the south side has small niches with geometric patterns painted onto them.

Interestingly enough, the visitor can go right under the dome, where a great view of the Church is to be found. This was the equivalent to the women’s gallery, to be found in many Orthodox Churches around the world today. This is undoubtedly the most spectacular Church in Yesiloz.