Eski Gumusler Monastery

Eski Gumusler Monastery

Gümüşler Monastery, located about 10 km away from Nigde Province, is a well-preserved Byzantine-era cave monastery in the Cappadocia region. The monastery is carved out of a large rock and is one of the largest of its kind in the area. Unlike monasteries with dining halls, Gümüşler is an open courtyard monastery.

The most significant part of the monastery is the church, consisting of four closed aisles based on the Greek cross plan. The paintings on the church walls are believed to have been created by at least three different artists. In the main apse, there are three series of paintings, including an image of Christ on a throne surrounded by symbols of the gospel writers and disciples, and depictions of church fathers like Basil the Great, Gregory of Nisa, and Gregory of Nazianzus.

Eski Gumusler Monastery

On the north part of the cross, murals of The Annunciation, The Nativity, and The Presentation at the temple, with the figures of John the Baptist and Saint Stephen, can be found. These were likely painted by a different artist, as the style differs from the earlier paintings. Carvings of Mary and baby Jesus, as well as the archangels Gabriel and Michael, were executed by a third artist on the inside of the narthex.

Visitors to the church can also see a fresco of The Virgin Mary smiling and looking at them from every angle, reminiscent of the Mona Lisa painting. Additionally, there are several unique hunting scenes depicted in paintings and tapestries in the room above the narthex.

The paintings at Gümüşler Monastery share similar iconography and style to those found in other Cappadocian churches and can be dated to the 11th-12th century AD using this criteria.