Ipotesi ricostruttive di un piccolo sito rupestre a Göreme in Cappadocia

In the ancient region of Cappadocia, located in central Anatolia, the most well-known settlements are those of a rocky, civil, and religious nature. A unique geological formation characterises the area; volcanic rocks shaped by natural erosion create a landscape of gullies and canyons. Over centuries, people settled in these formations, modifying ravines and carving complex structures, such as dwellings, worship places, factories, and villages, into the rock. This article focuses on a small rock complex in Göreme, near the Open Air Museum, within a typical “cone” of Cappadocia, featuring two churches and a parecclesion. The first church has a single hall with two apses, decorated with monochrome geometric patterns and “Moorish arch” details. A higher chapel has an apse with frescoes. Erosion has profoundly altered the site, and after conducting surveys with a laser scanner, we reconstructed the site’s original form through sketches.