The 12th-century Apple Church (Elmalı Kilise) overlooks a valley of poplars below. Relatively well preserved, it contains both simple, red-ochre daubs and bright frescoes depicting scenes from the New Testament. The Ascension is pictured above the door. The church's name is thought to derive from an apple tree that grew nearby or from a misinterpretation of the globe held by the Archangel Gabriel, in the third dome.
Apple Church
Göreme
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
1.06 MILES
The trails that loop around Güllüdere Vadısı (Rose Valley) are easily accessible to all levels of walkers and provide some of the finest fairy-chimney…
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1.33 MILES
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0.11 MILES
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21.45 MILES
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Nearby Göreme attractions
0.02 MILES
The Snake Church (or Church of St Onuphrius) got its modern name when locals mistook St George's ubiquitous dragon-foe, depicted in a fresco here, for a…
0.02 MILES
It's posited that Byzantine soldiers carved the 11th-century Azize Barbara Şapeli (Chapel of St Barbara), dedicated to their patron saint who is depicted…
0.03 MILES
Dedicated to Kayseri-born St Basil, this is the first church you come to inside the Göreme Open-Air Museum. The main room holds frescoes of St Basil (left…
0.04 MILES
This 13th-century church has frescoes depicting the four gospel writers (below the central dome) and the Betrayal of Judas (in the arch over the door)…
0.05 MILES
Downhill from the Sandal Church, the cordoned-off Rahibeler Monastery was originally several storeys high. It's thought that this building served as a…
0.06 MILES
The small Chapel of St Catherine is the next church down the path from the Dark Church. Inside are frescoes depicting St Catherine, the ubiquitous St…
0.06 MILES
The highlight of Göreme Open-Air Museum is the stunning and fully restored Dark Church, famed for the vivid colours and excellent preservation of its…
0.07 MILES
This Unesco World Heritage site is an essential stop on any Cappadocian itinerary. First thought to be a Byzantine monastic settlement that housed some 20…