Page 37 - Turkinsurance Digital Magazine

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astery, is constructed against the side of the cliff. The aqueduct
has many arches which have mostly fallen over.

The entrance to the Monastery leads up a long and narrow stair-
way. There is a guard-room next to the entrance. The stairs lead
down from there to the inner courtyard. On the left, in front of a
cave, there are several monastery buildings. The cave, which was
converted into a church, constitutes the center of the monastery.
The library is to the right. The large building with a balcony on
the front part of the cliff was used for the monks’ cells and for
housing guests. It dates back to 1860. Cabinets, niches and fur-
naces of the buildings surrounding the garden display the impacts
of Turkish art on works.

The inner and outer walls of the Rock Church and the walls of
the adjacent chapel are decorated with frescoes. Frescoes dating
from the era of Alexios III of Trebizond line the inner wall of
the Rock Church facing the courtyard. The frescoes of the chapel
which were painted on three levels in three different periods are
dated to the beginning of the 18th century. The frescoes of the
bottom band are of superior quality.

The frescoes of the monastery are seriously damaged due to van-
dalism. The main subject of the frescoes are biblical scenes tell-
ing the story of Christ and the Virgin Mary.