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-11th and mid-12th 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.
No comments:
Post a Comment