KILIÇLAR VALLEY DURING A SUNNY DAY

Writer: Ayça Olcaytu İşçen
May 2009

You may enter Kılıçlar Valley from the footpath pointed out by a signboard, across the big parking area, under Göreme Open Air Museum. The Valley, which we walked along with Yavuz during a cold but a sunny day is known with its enraptured band lands, ornamented dovecotes, The Virgin Mary Church and Kılıçlar Church.
As you walk along the footpath of the Valley after 3 kms on your right side, the Valley joins to Meskendir Valley. After this point after around 2 km walk you reach Çavuşin Village. If you do not want to walk through the whole valley, after 2 km you start the footpath, take the dirt road on your left; it will bring you to Göreme-Avanos main road.  In order to go back to Göreme you need take 2 km on the main road. It is also possible to enter the Valley by following the water course of Kılıçlar Stream. To take this option, you may follow Ortahisar-Göreme road, stop as you see the last hill on your right hand side just before going down towards Göreme Open Air Museum and then you follow the footpath starting at the road curve. If you take the water course of Kılıçlar Stream, which gives the name to the Valley and is dry most of the year, you reach a small canyon. As you enter the canyon, after a while the footpath creates a vertical 4 meters high bend. Therefore you need to turn back and walk around upward and then climb down valley.

Meryem Ana (The Virgin Mary) Church
If you follow the pathway split from the Tokalı Church you can reach the Virgin Mary Church. It is far from the main road around 250 m. The church is also known as Kılıçlar Kuşluk Church. It is located to see whole Kılıçlar Valley. The church is entered through a 5 m long narrow passage. It has an interesting architecture with rectangular plan and three apses. The right apse is destroyed by the effect of land erosion. The name of the church comes from the frescoes of the Virgin Mary repeated in different places of the church. Travel to Bethlehem, the nativity, Christ's baptism, the crucifixion, Christ pantocrator, Mary and John the Baptist begging to Jesus for the salvation of all mankind, the death of Mary can be seen at different sides of the church. A figurative description of Saint Basileos who has been accepted as one of the three great saints of the Cappadocia can be seen as well on the left apsis. The Church whose frescoes dated 11th century is closed to visitors because of having the risk of falling down.
 
Kılıçlar Church
It takes the name from the valley in which the church located. It is on the right side of the road from the Göreme Open Air Museum to Göreme city. And, it is situated 600 m far on the north-eastern direction from the museum entrance. The church was constructed in the form of closed-Greek-cross with three apses, and it has a dome stands on four pillars.
It has a variety of frescoes. The scenes from Bible such as, gospel, water experiment, childhood of Jesus, prostrating of 3 wisdom prophet kings for Jesus, journey to Egypt, introduction of Jesus to the temple, miracles of Jesus, last supper, Jesus versus Palates, crucifixion of Jesus, ascension and death of Virgin Mary can be seen among frescoes.  The date of the frescoes goes back to 9th and 10th centuries.  The Church is closed to the visitors because of the ongoing restoration work.

Note: This article has been published in Peribacası Cappadocia Culture and Publicity Magazine, May 2009 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