From the Voyage Vaults, Object No. 27
The Dark Church (Karanlık Kilise) at the Göreme Open Air Museum, is carved straight out of the soft volcanic rock peaks that the Cappadocia region of Turkey is famous for. We previously wrote about the history of Cappadocia here, but we didn’t mention the ancient art secreted away within the many rock churches of the area. The Dark Church was named for the low amount of light that penetrates the interior, and thanks to this moody low lighting, has some of the best preserved frescoes in Cappadocia.
The Dark Church’s magnificent 11th century Byzantine frescoes have recently been restored, and dimly lit, wonderfully preserved, brightly painted cave-like church is at once eerie and inspiring.
See more of our photos from the Göreme Open Air Museum at our Flickr Set
