Karanlik Kilise
Karanlik Kilise
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
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4.5
118 reviews
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4
Mazx1976
Tehran, Iran113 contributions
Jun 2022
Most attractive place in my trip to Cappadocia.
Photo and Video are not allowed.
You should pay here, even if you already paid the Open-Air museum ticket.
Ticket price was 40 TL in Jun 2022.
Photo and Video are not allowed.
You should pay here, even if you already paid the Open-Air museum ticket.
Ticket price was 40 TL in Jun 2022.
Written June 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
happykoabug
Honolulu, HI600 contributions
Apr 2024 • Friends
In my opinion the Dark Church was the best place to visit in the Goreme Open Air Museum. Pay the extra fee to see the gorgeous frescos. The colors were amazing. No photos but you can purchase postcards from the museum shop.
Written May 31, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Erhan Yildirim
Türkiye2,396 contributions
Feb 2021
The Dark Church(karanlık kilise), Göreme Open Air Museum in Cappadocia
Cappadocia with its unique fairy chimneys, balloon flights, nature and caves, church built inside fairy chimneys, monasteries ...The dark church(karanlık kilise) in Göreme open-air museum, which is among the few churches in the world with its frescoes.
The first written sources with Cappadocia in the ancient period are the cuneiform and luvi hygrolyph tablets written in Hitit language, the information given by the geographer and historian Strabo in his work Geography, written by 3 Christian clergymen who lived in the region in the AD 4th century.The first written information about the region comes from the expeditions of the Akkadians to Anatolia, the trade colonies of the Assyrians and the tabal kingdom, the late Hittite state.The region is ruled by the Medes, Persians, Alexander the Great and the Roman Empire. Until AD 7 century was conquered by Islamic armies.the main reason why Christianity spread throughout Anatolia and more Eastern countries in the Cappadocia region is known as the Cappadocia fathers ;Basileios the great, his brother Gregorios of Nyssa and Gregorios of Nazianzos have activities in the region.in the Cappadocia region; It is known that there are more than 400 large and small churches, monasteries and chapels carved into caves, inside fairy chimneys.The dark church(karanlık kilise) is within the borders of Göreme open air museum today, it is within the borders of the province of Nevsehir and only 15 km away from the city center.The dark church, built in the cross-in-square type, is named after the dark because it receives a very limited amount of light and air. Low light has prevented the church frescoes from being damaged by natural conditions.The history of the dark church dates from the end of the AD 10th century to the 11th century.
the church's frescoes are decorated with frescoes of events recounted from the Old Testament and the Bible.Abraham, Jesus, Mary,the apostles, miracles…
The scenes of the church are: Deesis, Annunciation, Journey to Bethlehem, Birth, Adoration of the Three Magi, Baptism, Resurrection of Lazarus, Transfiguration, Entry to Jerusalem, The Last Supper, Betrayal, Jesus on the Cross, Christ's Descent to Hell, Women at the Empty Tomb, Apostles Appreciation and Appointment, Ascension of Christ, Prophet Abraham Featuring hospitality, Cremation scenes of the Three Hebrews, and depictions of saints.
LAST SUPPER ,ΟΔΗΠΝΟΝϹ ΜΥϹΤΥΚΟϹ (mystical food)
The Last Supper scene is located to the southeast of the church.around a rectangular table, Jesus and his apostles appear. While Jesus blesses with his right hand, he is holding a roll in his left hand.it was staged with the Hale cross on the head of Jesus.sitting to the right of the table(left of the picture), Jesus is depicted with long hair and a beard.Peter of the apostles sat on the other side of the table .Other apostles on the table are depicted to reflect their personalities. The halos on their heads are depicted in 2 different colors. While Jesus blesses with his right hand, he is holding a roll in his left hand.Judas seems to have extended his hand to the table, unlike the others.The contemplative and sad appearance of the apostles indicates that Jesus explained who betrayed him.In the middle of the table there are fish in the plate and wine pots(silver goblets), forks and knives on the table.The proof that the meal is in the evening is the torch inside the street lantern(candelabrum). High structures are visible to the right and left of the torch. the inscription ΟΔΗΠΝΟΝϹ ΜΥϹΤΥΚΟϹ (mystical food) in Greek is seen next to the torch at the top of the stage. The origin of the Eucharist event, a central social ritual of Christianity, is described.
ANASTASIS (resurrection of Jesus)
Anastasıs scene is located to southeast of the church. In the middle of the scene is Jesus. The cross in his left hand, the Adam's hand with his right hand. Hades with his hands and feet chained under his feet is seen. Eve is seen on the left of the scene, and Eve is seen behind Adam.Adam is seen as long, with white hair and a beard .jesus is holding him right hand and is pulling him. Eve is standing behind Adam in a praying position with her hands open and looking up. Eve's names are written just behind her right shoulder and Adam on him halo. There are 6 figures behind the Adam and Eve, with only their halos visible. On those figures, He Profete (prophets) is read. The prophets mentioned in the old testament. to the right of the stage appear the prophets David and Solomon. David has a white beard and hair, and has an imperial crown on his head. Solomon is pictured in front of David as a young man with brown hair and no beard.his hands are open, and one hand is directed to Jesus. Inside the black rocky area at the bottom of the stage
Hades stretches. His hands and feet are chained. Christ's left foot is Hades on his arm, his right foot is on Hades' left leg. Jesus holding with his left hand It stabs the handle of the cross into Hades' head. Hades has white messy hair and gums. There is a white loincloth on it. The figure with its head raised towards Jesus fear is felt on his face. Hell's broken near the head of Hades There is a brown gate chain and key pieces.
Cappadocia with its unique fairy chimneys, balloon flights, nature and caves, church built inside fairy chimneys, monasteries ...The dark church(karanlık kilise) in Göreme open-air museum, which is among the few churches in the world with its frescoes.
The first written sources with Cappadocia in the ancient period are the cuneiform and luvi hygrolyph tablets written in Hitit language, the information given by the geographer and historian Strabo in his work Geography, written by 3 Christian clergymen who lived in the region in the AD 4th century.The first written information about the region comes from the expeditions of the Akkadians to Anatolia, the trade colonies of the Assyrians and the tabal kingdom, the late Hittite state.The region is ruled by the Medes, Persians, Alexander the Great and the Roman Empire. Until AD 7 century was conquered by Islamic armies.the main reason why Christianity spread throughout Anatolia and more Eastern countries in the Cappadocia region is known as the Cappadocia fathers ;Basileios the great, his brother Gregorios of Nyssa and Gregorios of Nazianzos have activities in the region.in the Cappadocia region; It is known that there are more than 400 large and small churches, monasteries and chapels carved into caves, inside fairy chimneys.The dark church(karanlık kilise) is within the borders of Göreme open air museum today, it is within the borders of the province of Nevsehir and only 15 km away from the city center.The dark church, built in the cross-in-square type, is named after the dark because it receives a very limited amount of light and air. Low light has prevented the church frescoes from being damaged by natural conditions.The history of the dark church dates from the end of the AD 10th century to the 11th century.
the church's frescoes are decorated with frescoes of events recounted from the Old Testament and the Bible.Abraham, Jesus, Mary,the apostles, miracles…
The scenes of the church are: Deesis, Annunciation, Journey to Bethlehem, Birth, Adoration of the Three Magi, Baptism, Resurrection of Lazarus, Transfiguration, Entry to Jerusalem, The Last Supper, Betrayal, Jesus on the Cross, Christ's Descent to Hell, Women at the Empty Tomb, Apostles Appreciation and Appointment, Ascension of Christ, Prophet Abraham Featuring hospitality, Cremation scenes of the Three Hebrews, and depictions of saints.
LAST SUPPER ,ΟΔΗΠΝΟΝϹ ΜΥϹΤΥΚΟϹ (mystical food)
The Last Supper scene is located to the southeast of the church.around a rectangular table, Jesus and his apostles appear. While Jesus blesses with his right hand, he is holding a roll in his left hand.it was staged with the Hale cross on the head of Jesus.sitting to the right of the table(left of the picture), Jesus is depicted with long hair and a beard.Peter of the apostles sat on the other side of the table .Other apostles on the table are depicted to reflect their personalities. The halos on their heads are depicted in 2 different colors. While Jesus blesses with his right hand, he is holding a roll in his left hand.Judas seems to have extended his hand to the table, unlike the others.The contemplative and sad appearance of the apostles indicates that Jesus explained who betrayed him.In the middle of the table there are fish in the plate and wine pots(silver goblets), forks and knives on the table.The proof that the meal is in the evening is the torch inside the street lantern(candelabrum). High structures are visible to the right and left of the torch. the inscription ΟΔΗΠΝΟΝϹ ΜΥϹΤΥΚΟϹ (mystical food) in Greek is seen next to the torch at the top of the stage. The origin of the Eucharist event, a central social ritual of Christianity, is described.
ANASTASIS (resurrection of Jesus)
Anastasıs scene is located to southeast of the church. In the middle of the scene is Jesus. The cross in his left hand, the Adam's hand with his right hand. Hades with his hands and feet chained under his feet is seen. Eve is seen on the left of the scene, and Eve is seen behind Adam.Adam is seen as long, with white hair and a beard .jesus is holding him right hand and is pulling him. Eve is standing behind Adam in a praying position with her hands open and looking up. Eve's names are written just behind her right shoulder and Adam on him halo. There are 6 figures behind the Adam and Eve, with only their halos visible. On those figures, He Profete (prophets) is read. The prophets mentioned in the old testament. to the right of the stage appear the prophets David and Solomon. David has a white beard and hair, and has an imperial crown on his head. Solomon is pictured in front of David as a young man with brown hair and no beard.his hands are open, and one hand is directed to Jesus. Inside the black rocky area at the bottom of the stage
Hades stretches. His hands and feet are chained. Christ's left foot is Hades on his arm, his right foot is on Hades' left leg. Jesus holding with his left hand It stabs the handle of the cross into Hades' head. Hades has white messy hair and gums. There is a white loincloth on it. The figure with its head raised towards Jesus fear is felt on his face. Hell's broken near the head of Hades There is a brown gate chain and key pieces.
Written February 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carol A S
Marietta, GA4,153 contributions
May 2019
Karanlık Kilise (or the Dark Church) was part of an 11th century monastic compound, and is one of a dozen historic churches in the Goreme Open-Air Museum. It's name comes from its dark interior, lit only by a small window in the narthex. On the one hand, the dim interior has preserved the rich pigments and vivid decorations of its frescoes. On the other, it makes interior photography difficult. Karanlık Kilise is a domed church with one main apse, two small apses and four columns. It is decorated with vibrant scenes from the New Testament: Christ Pantocrator, Nativity, Adoration of the Magi, First Bath, Last Supper, Betrayal by Judas, Crucifixion, and Resurrection. After the conquest of Cappadocia by the Seljuq Turks (~1071) the church was used as a pigeon house until the 1950s, when it was painstakingly restored. It is now one of the finest examples of 11th-century Byzantine church art. Karanlık Kilise has the same hours as the Goreme Open-Air Museum (8am-7.15pm daily) but there is an additional entry fee of ₺18 in addition to the ₺54 general museum entrance fee.
Written January 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Loz C
Singapore, Singapore30 contributions
Sep 2019
This church arguably hosts the most impressive frescos at the Goreme open air museum, as they are most well preserved. In order to limit tourist numbers and thus protect the frescos, there is an extra charge of 18TL on top of the entrance ticket fee which was 54TL. Despite travelling on a budget we decided to pay the extra entrance fee to see Karanlik Kilise (otherwise known as the dark church). It was well worth it. Stunningly intricate and complex, the church really was the highlight of the museum for us and one to remember from our trip, so it is definitely worth doing!
Written September 25, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
zrekkal1
Istanbul80 contributions
Nov 2018 • Couples
Especially interesting for people interested in medieval Orthodox Christian art, super well preserved frescoes.
Written November 21, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sozbayrak
Eskisehir, Türkiye89 contributions
May 2018 • Couples
This place is located in the Göreme Open Air Museum and fantastic place thanks to wall paintings inside. Each one has got a different story but the thing is how they lived here and how they painted walls like this.. Must see place but dont forget it is not easy to climb here so be ready for tracking.
Written May 2, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Madhu N
Mumbai, India57 contributions
Dec 2017 • Solo
This now disused church is perhaps the best of all in Goreme. You pay an extra 10 turkish lira as entry fee but it is worth it. The frescoes are very well preserved, apparently because not much natural light enters the interior. So, if the electricity goes off, as it did when I was there, the interior is totally dark. Each fresco tells a story from the New Testament...it's a must-see despite the extra entry fee!!
Written January 3, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BmoreStyle
Baltimore, MD451 contributions
Sep 2017 • Couples
If you’re in Goreme's Open Air Museum, pay the extra 10 lira to enter the Dark Church, it’s so worth it. Richly decorated and well preserved frescoes serve as a rare example of 11th Century Byzantine Art.
Almost all the icons in this chapel are intact, especially the higher ones, and you can even see the shading on the faces.
Don’t miss “The Last Supper” in one of the niches, with its vibrant dark color. Not only is it strikingly preserved, but its consistency made me think about the power of oral history from the apostles. In an era of little to no communication, how can there be so many representations of this particular scene, faithfully reproduced all over the world?
No pictures allowed. We followed the rules, and I will "borrow" from the Internet to complete my trip album.
Almost all the icons in this chapel are intact, especially the higher ones, and you can even see the shading on the faces.
Don’t miss “The Last Supper” in one of the niches, with its vibrant dark color. Not only is it strikingly preserved, but its consistency made me think about the power of oral history from the apostles. In an era of little to no communication, how can there be so many representations of this particular scene, faithfully reproduced all over the world?
No pictures allowed. We followed the rules, and I will "borrow" from the Internet to complete my trip album.
Written October 15, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Megooze2010
Coventry, UK6 contributions
Sep 2023 • Solo
The picture you see shown on Trip Advisor is taken from the Souvenir shop, you visit at the end of your tour. While visiting Karanlik Kilise you are forbidden to photograph the frescoes.
Written September 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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