Cappadocia - Churches

Since the most ancient of times, men have hollowed out troglodyte dwellings in this soft rock, and here, at the dawn of Christianity, the early Christians made countless cave churches, chapels and monasteries. There are over 600 churches scattered through the valleys. The art style of the churches can best be considered in two categories: the 8th and 9th centuries are the iconoclastic years, with decorations in red earth tones and symbolism in simple geometric motifs; the 10th to the 13th centuries saw decorations on a plaster base and show the lives of Christ and various saints. In some of the churches the frescoes of the later period have fallen off, revealing earlier decorations underneath.