Byzantine Cave Frescoes
Göreme, Turkey
October 14, 2008
Göreme, Turkey
October 14, 2008
The volcanic soft rock of the Cappadocian region provided abundant natural caves that could relatively easily be chipped away at to create elaborate or intimate underground structures. Early Christian communities fleeing persecution found the stealth-like structures ideal for hiding themselves as well as their newly ‘built’ cave monasteries. In later years these underground churches were lavishly painted with wall-to-wall frescoes filled with biblical scenes and saints. St. George slaying the dragon seems particularly popular. Many of them have survived remarkably well although almost all of the human figures have had their eyes gouged out supposedly by superstitious locals.
