Zelve Monastery

Zelve (also Eski Zelve, German Alt- Zelve ) is an almost entirely from existing caves place in Turkey's Cappadocia region in the province of Nevsehir. The no longer inhabited place is an open air museum.

History

Zelve was probably inhabited since Roman times and served in the course of time, Byzantines, Seljuks, Ottomans, Greeks and Turks as accommodation. In addition to various churches and a mosque is present. It was not until 1953, after more and more collapsed by earthquakes and erosion of the caves, the last inhabitants in a state with the help of newly built village called Yeni Zelve were (re Zelve, today Aktepe ) resettled. In 1967 the site was declared a museum.

Construction

The area consists of three valleys, the walls are completely covered with caves that have been carved by the inhabitants in the soft tufa. Among them are flats, business premises, churches and a large monastery complex. Almost all the rooms are connected to each other by corridors and tunnels, which can be closed in part by the typical Cappadocian caves rolling stones. The commission is not easy at the outer entrances sometimes it is steep stairs or even just to grips that are beaten in vertical walls. The internal connections are tight junctions, which also go partially vertically through the rock and are also only climb over steps and handholds. Also typical for Cappadocia fairy chimneys and pigeon houses with painted ingress holes are found in Zelve. From the middle to the first ( southern ) valley a walk today, over a hundred -meter-long tunnel through the rock. A boulder between first and second valley on which the Geyikli Kilise ( Church with the deer ) was located, is collapsed in 2002. Since then, parts of the site visitors are locked.

Buildings

The churches are not as gorgeous as provided in Goreme, which is why they are (8th to 9th century ) dated to the period of iconoclasm, or shortly before. You show simple paintings and was carved out of the rock relief decoration. Often a skulpiertes cross is seen in connection with archaic symbols. In the north, the third valley, is a double church, consisting of the Balıklı Kilise ( Church with the fish ) and the Uzumlu Kilise ( church with grapes). The main room of the former has three apses on the ceiling there is a cross in relief on the walls and a cross medallion between two fish. In Uzumlu Kilise also remains of figurative representations are seen next to the eponymous wine grape decor, including a Madonna with Child and the entrance to the archangels Gabriel and Michael. In the valley opposite is the badly damaged Direkli Kilise ( columns Church ).

Are located on the walls of the Vaftızlı Kilise ( Baptistry ) in the central valley blind niches, on the back wall two crosses. The now collapsed Geyikli Kilise between first and second valley had a skulpiertes ceiling cross and an alleged stag representation, the well showed a lamb in reality.

In the first valley is situated on the south side in about ten meters high in the wall, a monastery, which form small rooms with the narrow, winding passageways a complex maze. On the opposite side of the valley a mosque is carved out of the rock with a barrel vault. The pre-built facade and the associated small minaret are the only brick building on the entire site.

From the earthquake destroyed church ceiling

Mosque