This cross-shaped church has four columns, with lovely partially preserved frescoes of saints. The large adjoining chamber originally had two storeys, as you can see from what's left of the steps and the holes in the walls from the supporting beams. It's in Belisırma village, off the main Ihlara Valley trail; a sign near the Belisırma trailhead ticket booth points the way to the entry.
Direkli Kilise
Cappadocia
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
28.52 MILES
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Nearby Cappadocia attractions
1. Bahattın'ın Samanlığı Kilise
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Sitting on Belisırma village's cliff face, next door to the Direkli Kilise, this tiny church contains defaced but still vivid frescoes depicting scenes…
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Although badly graffitied, the frescoes are still gloriously vibrant, and above the entrance you can see St George on a white horse, slaying a three…
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This cruciform-plan church is most famous for its incredibly well-preserved fresco ceiling depicting the Ascension.
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This double-nave church has a wealth of 10th- and 12th-century frescoes depicting stories from the Gospels. In 2019 it wasn't possible to access the…