Churches of Göreme

Nevşehir Province, Turkey

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Admission: Ticketed

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Göreme, a district in Nevşehir Province in central Turkey, is home to a remarkable complex of rock-cut Byzantine churches and monastic settlements carved from the soft volcanic stone of Cappadocia. The distinctive landscape—formed by the eruption of Mount Erciyes some 2.6 million years ago—left deposits of ash and lava that eroded into fairy chimneys, their soft rock ideal for excavation. Beginning in the 4th century, anchorite communities established themselves in the region following the teachings of Saint Basil of Caesarea, carving simple monastic cells into the stone. Though the iconoclastic period (725–842) left many sanctuaries decorated only with crosses and minimal ornament, the post-iconoclastic era saw a flowering of artistic patronage, with numerous newly carved churches adorned with elaborate Byzantine frescoes of striking quality and colour. These sanctuaries remained in active use until 1923, when the Greco-Turkish population exchange ended their long centuries of inhabitation.

Movement

Byzantine architecture

Built: 0400
Type: human settlement
Place: Nevşehir Province, Turkey

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Location

38.63908, 34.84553