Parkhali

Barhal, also Altıparmak, Parhal; Georgian: პარხალი, Parchali, Parkhali, a mountain village is on the southern slope of the mountain Ostpontischen ( Kaçkar Dağları ) in the province of Artvin in northeastern Turkey. The today used as a mosque church of Barhal ( Barhal Kilisesi ) is a former monastery church from the 10th century, which belonged to the medieval Georgian kingdom Tao Klardschetien.

Location and townscape

40.97083333333341.373888888889Koordinaten: 40 ° 58 ' 15 " N, 41 ° 22' 26" E

The parallel to the coast of the Black Sea mountain ranges of the Kaçkar Dağları belong to the wettest area of ​​Turkey. The mountain reaches a few kilometers north of Barhal 3600 meters above sea level and falls steeply to the south from the valley of the Çoruh River. Numerous small and large streams flow to the Çoruh by the head southeast opening mountain valleys.

From the expressway between Artvin and Erzurum branches off a side road off to the west, reaches the run of Çoruh upstream direction İspir following ten kilometers Yusufeli. Yusufeli is the capital of the eponymous district and starting point of a 27 km long narrow mountain road that leads in the valley of Barhal Çay ( tributary of the Çoruh ) to the northwest of about 700 meters until after Barhal at 1250 meters altitude. In addition to individual farms, the village street SARIGÖL is on two thirds of the way the only settlement in the valley.

The center of Barhal located at the junction of a creek coming from the north in the Barhal Çay, according to the road forks here. Behind the mosque to the right, ie in the valley to the north passes a country dirt, of the one kilometer on a road to the right after a few meters from the church Barhal can be seen on the hillside. Further along the track are still a few farms that belong to Barhal. The trail later by coniferous forest and up to the meltwater Karagöl below a 3300 -meter summit. The route over the bridge in the center of Barhal westward after 24 kilometers, the 2100 meter high place Yaylalar. Daily from Yusufeli about Barhal after Yaylalar runs at least a minibus.

There are grocery stores with a selection of seasonal fruits and vegetables, several tea rooms, a new mosque and three pensions. Agriculture is dominated by cattle farming. Each homestead has a farm building, full day the cattle are found in the brick ground floor at night and in winter. In addition there are one or two, usually constructed of wood planks floors, where hay and other fodder is stored as a stock for the long winter months. On terraced fields covered include maize, alfalfa, tomatoes, cucumbers and eggplants are grown. Furthermore thrive walnuts, persimmons, pomegranates and grapes.

Following heavy rains in the winter half year, the Barhal River in the spring for white water rafting, which are offered by tour operators is. The groups stay mostly in Barhal. The first 12 kilometers downriver from here to SARIGÖL be as challenging that a further 16 miles to Yusufeli are easier to navigate. In addition Barhal is coming from the south most popular starting point for hikes in the Kaçkar mountains. Season for climbing peaks and crossings is the period from July to mid-August. The population figures are declining despite the revenue from tourism. For the year 2000 745 inhabitants were reported, in 2010 there were still 469

Church of Barhal

History

In the 9th and 10th centuries, many churches and monasteries were built in Tao - Klardschetien. The Church of Barhal is a very similar, simplified in the architectural sculpture replica of the destination in another mountain valley Dörtkilise, for a start of construction to 960 (after 961 ), just before or at the beginning of the reign of David III. , David the Great ( reg. 961-1000), is assumed. Therefore, it must have been started with the construction of the church in the 960s years. An inscription on the south facade called David as the founder. At least 973 it was completed. This date is in a " Barhal Bible" mentioned manuscript in a monastery called Schatberdi (probably equivalent to the preserved church ruin Yeni Rabat in Ardanuç ) was written off and in the construction of the new Barhal monastery is mentioned. Two chapels near be dated in the same establishment time.

The now-vanished portico in front of the south side, King Alexander (reigned 1412-1442 ) to build. According to an inscription in the interior of the church was restored during the tenure of Patriarch John ( 1489-1507 ). The collapsed porch ( narthex ) to the west dates from the early 16th century. A public notice of Ottoman rule from 1677 shows that the church was converted to a mosque. The Georgian historian Ekwtime Taqaischwili described in 1917 Barhal as well as the other Georgian churches in Turkey. The building is still used today as a mosque and is normally closed.

Design

The three-aisled basilica with 28.4 × 18.7 meters exactly the same footprint as the Dörtkilise. She rises above a two-stage base zone with 22 centimeters in height. The vaults of the nave are supported by four pillars pairs; between the western piers built a high loft. To the east of the semicircular apse of two rectangular, two-storey ancillary rooms ( Pastophorien ) is flanked within the straight outer wall. As in the second Dörtkilise zygomatic arch is widened in front of the altar area, but here the desired spatial impression of a transept from the beginning was planned.

The exterior walls are assembled with clean, dressed gray sandstone slabs. The roof is covered with clay tiles not, but also with gray stones. The vertical structure of the external walls is done by uniform blend niche arcades, which will continue at the clerestory in the same line. On the superstructure blind arches resting on unadorned double columns, in which Dörtkilise contrast, the pillars are intricately spirally twisted. The blind arches on the gable ends are adjusted in height of the roof form, the middle is a little wider and contains on the east side the only large window and to the west the input that is to be found today in the darkness of half-ruined crops. The wall panels are uniformly 1.88 meters wide, only on the inputs they were enlarged to 2.38 meters. The initial portals in the two longitudinal walls are bricked up today. All three inputs measured 1.86 meters in width and 2.8 meters in height.

The architectural decoration is over Dörtkilise greatly reduced, not only the blind arches are plain. Simple, but nice designed Bogenwülste can be found on some of the windows of the long sides. On the west facade is a small relief over the north-facing window in a praying orante-pose is, the inscription " Theodor " presumably refers to the builder. On the north side a opposite standing pair of peacocks and a lion can be seen in the lunette. Most other forms are geometric or floral (palms ). Apart from such decorations the exterior walls are smooth, the gray color makes the constrained between high mountains buildings look a bit bleak.

The originally present frescoes in the apse are painted over. On the second pair of pillars from the east can be found with a view toward the altar alcoves. A relief in the southern niche shows together with an angel, a figure which can be interpreted as Symeon Stylites. Some details in the interior are even finer work than the model, for example, an arcuate recess under the window in the apse.

As with the other monasteries existed in the surrounding area outside the building. 1.5 km south remained on a mountainside, the ruins of a small chapel with an attached on the north side adjoining room received. A hall church with outer dimensions of 7.5 x 5.2 meters and a round apse was there at the top of the mountain.

Besides Barhal the best preserved Georgian churches in the region Dörtkilise, İşhan are east of Yusufeli and ÖSK Vank and Haho which are accessible from the main road between Yusufeli and Tortum.