Karanlik Kilise / Dark Church - Göreme Open Air Museum (Nevsehir Province, Turkey)
N 38° 38.306 E 034° 50.766
36S E 660673 N 4278270
The magnificent Karanlik Kilise (Dark Church), bulit in the 6th or 7th century, is one of famous ancient in tufa soft rock carved Orthodox Greek churches located in monastic complex of Göreme Open Air Museum in Göreme (Nevsehir Province of Turkey).
Waymark Code: WMKJZM
Location: Türkiye
Date Posted: 04/23/2014
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The magnificent Karanlik Kilise (Dark Church), bulit in the 6th or 7th century, is one of famous ancient in tufa soft rock carved Orthodox Greek churches located in monastic complex of Göreme Open Air Museum in Göreme (Nevsehir Province of Turkey).
Frescoes inside the Dark Church
The Dark Church was named for the low amount of light that penetrates the interior, and thanks to this moody low lighting, it has some of the best preserved frescoes in the world. The Dark Church’s magnificent 11th-century Byzantine frescoes have recently been restored, and dimly lit but brightly painted, this cave-like church is at once eerie and inspiring. The entrance to the Church is from the north through a winding tunnel which opens into a barrel-vaulted narthex. In the south of the narthex there are three graves, two of which are big and the other, small. The church has a cross plan, the arms of the cross having a diagonal vault. The templon of the main apse has been destroyed. Some of the scenes on the walls are Deesis, Annunciation, Journey to Bethlehem, Nativity, Baptism, Raising of Lazarus, Transfiguration, Entry into Jerusalem, Last Supper, Betrayal of Judas, the Crucifixion and Anastasis.