A team of Turkish archaeologists have found an early Christian church in an ancient underground settlement near modern-day Nevsehir, the capital district of Nevsehir Province in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey.
Fresco on the wall of an early Christian church in an ancient underground city near Nevsehir, Cappadocia, Turkey. Image credit: Nevsehir Castle Urban Transformation Project / Nevsehir Municipality / Turkey’s Housing Development Administration.
The walls of the rock-cut cave church, according to the team, are covered by frescoes portraying Jesus Christ, the apostles, and the saints.
The church was found in a large underground city that the scientists discovered in March 2015.
“The frescoes in this church show the rise of Jesus the Christ into the sky and the killing of the bad souls,” Mr. Hasan Ünver, the mayor of Nevsehir, told the Anadolu Agency and the English-language newspaper Hürriyet Daily News.
“We know that such frescoes have so far never been seen in any other church,” he said.
Frescoes on the walls of an early Christian church. Nevsehir, Cappadocia, Turkey. Image credit: Nevsehir Castle Urban Transformation Project / Nevsehir Municipality / Turkey’s Housing Development Administration.
“Only a few of the paintings have been revealed. Others will emerge when the earth is removed,” added Dr. Semih İstanbulluoğlu, an archaeologist at Ankara University, and his colleague Ali Aydın.
“There are important paintings in the front part of the church showing the crucifixion of Jesus and his ascension to heaven.”
“There are also frescoes showing the apostles, the saints and the Old Testament prophets Moses and Elyesa.”
Fresco on the wall of a rock-cut early Christian church. Nevsehir, Cappadocia, Turkey. Image credit: Nevsehir Castle Urban Transformation Project / Nevsehir Municipality / Turkey’s Housing Development Administration.
Mr. Ünver added: “there are exciting depictions like fish falling from the hand of Jesus Christ, him rising up into the sky, and the bad souls being killed.”
“When the church is completely revealed, Cappadocia could become an even bigger pilgrimage center of Orthodoxy.”
Dr. İstanbulluoğlu, Mr. Aydın and their colleagues have dated the church to the 5th century CE.
