THE BUCKLE CHURCH OF CAPPADOCIA

The Buckle Church is the largest one in the valley of Goreme and features a significant number of iconography. From the pictorial point of view, it is certainly the most important early Christian church in Cappadocia.

The consistency of the color is rather of lapis lazuli which was earlier believed to be brought from Afghanistan, but recently there was found a small old mine of this beautiful stone as well near Avanos town.

The walls and vaults show scenes from the New Testament, commencing with the Annunciation. The life of Christ is depicted in chronologically ordered sequences, terminating with the Ascension. The Church with Sandals displays over one hundred portraits of the saints of Cappadocia. The depictions on 11th century are rather stronger, more powerful and recently well renovated by UNESCO.

The church is only 400 m. down the way to the big car park of Goreme Open Air Museum and can be visited with the same ticket purchased for the museum.