Churches of Cappadocia (Turkey) - churches and houses carved into the tufa rocks

Where is located Churches of Cappadocia?

Address of Churches of Cappadocia is Cappadocia, Turkey
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When was built Churches of Cappadocia?

Built date of Churches of Cappadocia is From 412, e.

Facts, informations and history of Churches of Cappadocia

Most churches come from the X and XI century, some are much older.

Active volcanoes have created layers of ash, mud and lava here for many thousands of years. Later, atmospheric factors removed the soft material, and the remaining more resistant stone protrudes in strange shapes, sometimes described as fabulous chimneys.

In the Goreme valley in Cappadocia there are supposedly 365 churches and chapels carved in living rock, there are many more in Cappadocia. Some say that there were entire underground cities inhabited by thousands of people seeking refuge from Arab persecution.

Other underground cities are: Kaymakli (dark labyrinth of tunnels and chambers on four levels) and Derinkuyu (has as many as eight underground levels), it is possible that they were connected to each other.

Some churches have exotic frescoes, whose colors have been perfectly preserved due to the fact that daylight did not reach them. In the Church of the Serpent (Yilami Kilise) frescoes depict a serpent, while in the Church of the Apples (Elmali Kilise) they depict scenes from the life of Christ.

Construction/building type

Building Churches of Cappadocia is of type Churches

Architectural style

Architectural style of Churches of Cappadocia is Byzantine

What material is the building made of?

Churches of Cappadocia is made of the following materials: Stone

Is the building on the UNESCO World Heritage List?

Yes, the building Churches of Cappadocia is inscribed on the UNESCO List under the reference 357.
The listing took place in the year 1985.
Details of the entry are available on the Unesco website at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/357/

Official website

The official website of the building, where up-to-date information can be found, is http://www.goturkey.com/en/place/detail/cappadocia