The Eskigümüş rock cut monastery, located off the Kayseri-Niğde road near to the city of Niğde in

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

, is famed for having what is believed to be the only

fresco Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...

with a smiling

Theotokos ''Theotokos'' ( Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are or (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations are "Mother of God" or "God-beare ...

. As the

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

was only recently rediscovered by western Europeans, it was able to escape the vandalism common among many of the churches and monasteries in Cappadoccia. The monastery is the farthest south of all of the Cappadocian monasteries. It is located close to the route used by invading Arabs in the 7th century, who traversed the Tarsus Mountains from the south to plunder

Kayseri Kayseri () is a large List of cities in Turkey, city in Central Anatolia, Turkey, and the capital of Kayseri Province, Kayseri province. Historically known as Caesarea (Mazaca), Caesarea, it has been the historical capital of Cappadocia since anc ...

. This route follows the Tarsus River through the rugged Gülek Pass which, known in ancient times as the ''Cilician Gates'' was used by

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip ...

during his eastward campaign into

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

. The plain entrance to the Monastery was designed to shield the complex from passing invaders. This

camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the b ...

was so successful that the monastery remained unknown until 1963. High walls surround the large inner courtyard walls with monastic rooms and storage areas. The main church is large and is in extremely good condition, with the many well-preserved frescoes considered to be among the greatest examples of

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

art in the region.

References

External links

Churches
Underground cities Byzantine monasteries in Turkey Byzantine churches in Cappadocia Byzantine sites in Anatolia Niğde Province Buildings and structures in Nevşehir Province Tourist attractions in Nevşehir Province {{Orthodox-monastery-stub es:Derinkuyu tr:Derinkuyu, Nevşehir

See also

References

External links