Date:

Gümüşler – The Byzantine Cave Monastery

Gümüşler Monastery is an archaeological site and Byzantine monastery carved out of rock in the modern-day town of Gümüşler in Turkey.

Gümüşler was called Tracias during the Byzantine period and was a centre for religious learning, constructed sometime between the 8th-12th century AD.

- Advertisement -

The monastery was built by carving the structure from a single tuff rock mass formation and consists of a square-shaped courtyard 15 metres deep, and with a church comprising of four freestanding closed aisles based on the Greek cross plan. The monastery also contains a subterranean warren of rooms and passageways, with reservoirs for wine and oil, crypts, a kitchen, refectory, and various monastic dwellings.

Image Credit : DossemanCC BY-SA 4.0

Researchers believe that three different master artists painted the artwork found on the walls of the church that remain some of the best-preserved Byzantine-coloured frescoes in Cappadocia.

Some of the most prominent scenes are found in the main apse and features Christ with two angels to his right, depictions of the gospel writers, the moment of Deisis with Mary and the disciples, Basil the Great of Kayseri, Gregory of Nisa, and the Smiling Virgin Mary fresco. Many images at Gümüşler were later painted over by local Turks who considered the depiction of humans in art idolatrous.

Image Credit : DossemanCC BY-SA 4.0

The style and iconography of the paintings on the walls of the Gümüşler Monastery is the same across many churches in Cappadocia. It is possible to date the paintings to the 12th and 13th century AD by comparing and evaluating the artistic traits of other Byzantine religious sites in the region.

- Advertisement -

The monastery remained relatively unknown to the western world until a report published by art historian Ahmet Akif Tütenk resulted in a full study in 1962 by archaeologists with a series of restoration works on the paintings by restorer Michael Gough.

Header Image Credit : Dosseman – CC BY-SA 4.0

- Advertisement -

Stay Updated: Follow us on iOS, Android, Google News, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, TikTok, LinkedIn, and our newsletter

spot_img
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan is a multi-award-winning journalist and the Managing Editor at HeritageDaily. His background is in archaeology and computer science, having written over 8,000 articles across several online publications. Mark is a member of the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW), the World Federation of Science Journalists, and in 2023 was the recipient of the British Citizen Award for Education, the BCA Medal of Honour, and the UK Prime Minister's Points of Light Award.
spot_img
spot_img

Mobile Application

spot_img

Related Articles

Ancient boomerang found in Polish cave stuns scientists

A study of a Palaeolithic boomerang found in Poland's Obłazowa Cave has been dated to 42,000 years ago, making the discovery the oldest example in Europe and potentially the world.

Women ruled over oldest known city

A groundbreaking study published in the journal Science has revealed that women played the dominant role at Çatalhöyük.

Intact Etruscan tomb discovered in the Necropolis of San Giuliano

An intact Etruscan tomb has been discovered at the site of the Necropolis of San Giuliano, which lies within the Marturanum Regional Park near Barbarano Romano, Italy.

Soldier’s wrist purse discovered at Roman legionary camp

Archaeologists have discovered a fragment of a soldier's wrist purse at the site of a temporary Roman camp in South Moravia, Czech Republic.

Lost equestrian sculpture found buried in Toul

Archaeologists from the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (Inrap) have discovered an equestrian sculpture during excavations in Toul, France.

Roman-Era settlement unearthed in Alès

A recent excavation led by Inrap has uncovered a remarkably well-preserved Roman-era settlement on the slopes of the Hermitage hill overlooking Alès, southern France.

Excavations in Olympos reveal ancient mosaics and sacred inscriptions

Excavations in Olympos, Antalya province, have uncovered mosaic floors and inscriptions within a 5th-century church, part of a year-round project backed by Türkiye’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Mammoth bones uncovered during road construction works

The Construction of the S17 Piaski–Hrebenne highway near the Arabunie village in Zamość County has revealed the remains of what is believed to be either a woolly mammoth or a forest elephant.