STRUCTURE and DECORATION OF A ROCK-CUT COMPLEX NEAR ORTAHİSAR

Writer: Danielle North

May 2010

On the gentle sloop of a hill bordering the village of Ortahisar is the complex known as the Hallaç Monastery. The rooms of the monastery are cut out of a large outcrop of rock that looms dark and disserted on the outskirts of the village. Submitted for centuries to the forces of nature it is slowly crumbling away, but nevertheless still retains a wealth of carved details.

The site

A new brown and white sign points in the direction of a small dirt road leading out of Ortahisar. Just beyond the last cluster of houses the road suddenly descends to the bottom of a small valley. From here the last few hundred meters to the rocky outcrop in which the monastery complex is situated are covered on foot. The Hallaç Dere Monastery, or simply Hallaç Monastery is named after the Hallaç Valley in which it is situated. This 11^th century complex is also sometimes referred to as the Hospital Monastery as some believe that the monks that once lived here produced medicine to cure the ailments of the local population.

The various rooms of the Hallaç compound are carved out of the rock and as is common in Cappadocia they are created in such a way as to imitate built architecture. This is clearly seen in elements like columns and domes that lack the architectural purpose of their built counterparts. The monastery is situated on three sides of a large courtyard, although by now the west wall has almost completely disappeared. The south side of the courtyard is open and it is from here that the complex is entered. Except in the case of the church and kitchen it is difficult to determine what functions the separate rooms had, as few clues have been left behind.

The large mass of craggy rock that houses the complex is slowly eroding away. Due to the disintegration of the rock silt has for centuries been accumulating on the floor of the courtyard resulting in the rising of the original ground level by more than a metre. This difference in level is clearly seen from the centre of the courtyard from where only the top parts of the entrances to the rooms are visible. When entering from outside visitors will notice they must descend slightly at the doorways that lead to the various parts of the monastery.

After the 11^th century, when the complex was no longer in use as a monastery, the rooms were used as dovecotes. To accommodate the new feathered inhabitants’ changes were made to the original structure. As can also be seen elsewhere in the Cappadocia region, small holes were made high up on the facades through which the birds could enter, while doorways were blocked to keep out unwanted predators.

North wall

A number of elements have drastically changed over the centuries, but it is still fairly easy to gain a good impression of the original structure. The north end of the courtyard may well have consisted of a barrel vaulted room of which the vault and south wall collapsed at some point in time and thereafter slowly disappeared. This long rectangular room would have given access to a number of other rooms that lay deeper within the mass of rock. The northern wall of the courtyard that we see today is decorated with four big and three smaller arched blind niches, separated from each other by pilasters. This decoration was severely damaged when the rooms within were transformed into dovecot. The new owners of the complex paid no attention to the original decoration when making alterations, cutting straight trough it when deemed necessary.

In the centre of the northern wall a doorway provides access to a large room where two rows of columns divide the area into three aisles. The capitals of these columns are decorated with carved geometric patterns such as diamonds and triangles, the outlines of which have been accentuated with the characteristic red paint found in many other Byzantine structures of the area. The rectangle form of this room is reminiscent of a basilica church but because it lacks an apse and has no liturgical furniture – such as an altar – it is highly unlikely that it ever functioned as such. Seeing as the axis of the room is on a north-south line, instead of the east-west one (an essential part of church architecture), there seems to be little reason to assume it ever had an official religious usage. What it’s original function was is hard to determine, its large size however indicates that it may have functioned as a hall. The community of monks that lived at the monastery could have gathered together here for communal purposes.

West wall

In the north-west corner of the courtyard is the entrance to a spacious room. This large square area has four robust columns that once had the illusion of carrying a domed ceiling above that these days has largely disintegrated. Unprotected, little is left of the initial decoration, although here and there small traces of patterns in faded red paint can still be spotted. The most interesting part of the decoration is a small sculpted figure on the wall to the left of the entrance. The figure is of a man who seems to be emerging out of the wall while running or jumping and spreading his arms out to the side. This is a unique image as it is the only sculpture of a human figure that is known in the cave churches and monasteries of Cappadocia. Unfortunately it can only be guessed at who this man is with his pointed hat and lively gestures.

The small room that is situated south of here can be identified as a kitchen when compared to similar rooms at other complexes in the area. It is the least well preserved room of the monastery as most of its vault has collapsed. In the summit of the dome there would have been a small hole to let out smoke that would rise from the fire on which meals for the community were prepared.

East wall and church

The eastern wall is the best kept of the three facades surrounding the courtyard and with is details in carvings definitely the most eye-catching part of the exterior. The façade is filled with pilasters, recesses, niches and windows, as well as a prominent rectangular panel that contains a carved cross.

The most interesting space in this part of the complex is the church with it’s high ceiling and five domes. Originally the church had four slender columns, but only two of these have completely survived, while remnants of the other two hang in fragments from the ceiling. As in other parts of the monastery there are carved geometric designs decorating the capitals of the columns, the most noticeable of which are the horned animal heads.

The church contains three apses, a lager central one that once contained a rock-cut altar and two smaller ones on either side. On the wall of the central apse are the remains of a painting and although very badly damaged the main elements can still be deciphered. The painting shows the Virgin Mary with child enthroned in the centre of the image. On the left is an Archangel, on the right is St. Basil carrying a book that refers to his influential writings. Basil himself was born in Cappadocia and is considered a key figure in the founding of eastern monasticism. Another reference to him can be found on one of the pilasters in the church, where an inscription in red paint translates into ‘basil’. These two references to Saint Basil could indicate that the church, and possibly the whole monastery complex, was dedicated to him. In the 11^th century the monks of the monastery and the local community might have then known this as the church and monastery of St. Basil. A name that was later forgotten and at some point replaced by the name it has today, the monastery of Hallaç.

Note: This article has been published in Peribacası Cappadocia Culture and Publicity Magazine, May 2010 issue. It is under protection of the copyrights of the magazine. No part of this article may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by electronic, mechanical or other means without prior permission from the owner. www.cappadociaexplorer.com