Byzantine Art & Caves tour

Our first visit is to the Saint Jean Church (Karşi Kilise) near Gulsehir - a village on the Red River. This cave church features two floors and is dated (by inscription) to the year 1212. The lower floor of the church is built in the shape of a cross and features simple designs and motifs in red ochre applied directly onto the rock. This lower area also houses a wine cellar, graves, water channels, and living quarters. The upper floor contains vivid New Testament scenes, including the Last Judgment scene- rarely found in Cappadocian churches. After lunch, we will explore the magnificent St. John the Baptist Church in the ancient village of Cavusin. Perched on the side of the hill - we will walk among the ruins of the ancient city carved into the cliff-side until we reach the church, which is the largest cave church in Cappadocia - although, due to erosion it was made into three sections to support the structure in recent years. The paintings are quite faded but one can still make out the faint outlines of the once-exquisite scenes. The next stop will be at the rarely visited El Nazar, carved into an isolated fairy chimney at the entrance of the Zemi Valley. We continue to the quaint "Pancarlik'' valley (beetroot valley) - the name comes from the bright pink-colored ripples in the landscape. The Pancar Church and Monastery is nestled into a lower valley surrounded by vineyards and rolling hills. The rock-cut cave church features scenes from Christ's life from the New Testament. Above the church are living quarters and a little further down in the valley are the monastery cave structures to explore. The last stop of the day will be at the Grape Church, located in the Red Valley where you can spend time admiring the beautiful floral frescoes.