Eski Gumusler MonasteryPlaces to Visit in Nigde

The Gümüşler Monastery, situated approximately 10 km from Nigde Province, is a well-preserved Byzantine-era cave monastery in the Cappadocia region. Carved from a massive rock, it is one of the largest monasteries of its type in the area. Unlike other monasteries with dining halls, Gümüşler is an open-courtyard monastery.

The most notable feature of the monastery is its church, which is designed in a Greek cross plan with four enclosed aisles. The paintings on the church walls are thought to have been created by at least three distinct artists. In the main apse, there are three distinct series of paintings, including an image of Christ on a throne surrounded by symbols of the gospel writers and disciples, as well as representations of church fathers such as Basil the Great, Gregory of Nisa, and Gregory of Nazianzus.

On the northern part of the cross, murals depicting The Annunciation, The Nativity, and The Presentation at the Temple, along with images of John the Baptist and Saint Stephen, can be found. These paintings were likely created by a different artist, as their style differs from that of the earlier works. Additionally, carvings of Mary and baby Jesus, along with the archangels Gabriel and Michael, were done by a third artist on the inside of the narthex.

Visitors to the church can also observe a fresco of The Virgin Mary, smiling and gazing at them from every angle, much like the famous Mona Lisa painting. Furthermore, there are several distinctive hunting scenes illustrated in paintings and tapestries in the area above the narthex.

The artwork at Gümüşler Monastery exhibits similar iconography and stylistic elements to those found in other Cappadocian churches, and based on these features, it can be dated to the 11th-12th century AD.

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