Virgin Mary Church
Dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the Goreme Open Air Museum, this church holds special importance as part of a nunnery complex.
Nunnery Complex
The Virgin Mary Church is the main worship space of the nunnery complex in the Goreme Open Air Museum. The six-story structure consists of a church, dining hall, kitchen, and living rooms. This comprehensive settlement provides valuable information about the organization of female monastic life in the Byzantine period.
The Virgin Mary fresco in the apse section is the most important artistic element of the structure. The long stone table and seating in the dining hall reveal the daily routine of communal life.
Related Churches
St. Basil Church
Located at the entrance of the Goreme Open Air Museum, St. Basil Church is dedicated to St. Basil of Cappadocia and bears traces of the early Christian period.
St. Barbara Church
Decorated with geometric and animal motifs in red ochre, St. Barbara Church is a unique Cappadocian church reflecting the influence of the Iconoclasm period.
Apple Church
The cross-plan Apple Church in the Goreme Open Air Museum stands out with its well-preserved red-toned frescoes and elegant architecture.