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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Kizil Kilise |
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For site maps and drawings please click on the picture...  |
For photographs please click on the photo...  |
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Type:
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Church |
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Plan Type:
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Cross Plan |
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Year of Costruction:
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6th c. |
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Phase:
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Early |
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Investigation Method:
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Survey |
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Altitude:
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Region:
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Central Anatolia |
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Province:
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Aksaray |
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District:
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Güzelyurt |
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Village:
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Sivrihisar |
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Antique Name:
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| Location: It is located in Sivrihisar Village in Güzelyurt District of Aksaray Province. The church is 5 km far from Gelveri and 55 km far from Aksaray Province and situated in Sivrihisar Village at the border of Nigde. |
| Geography and Environment: The village where the church is located is founded on the skirts of rocks and Sivrihisar Castle. The structure that is situated in the center of the large valley is reached after 10 minutes walk [Dogan 2008:11]. To the southwest of the church, there is an old sacred fountain which is called "Hayat Suyu (Adam's Ale)" by local people [Ötüken 1980a:269]. |
| Research and Excavation: H. Rott visited the church in the beginning of the 20th century and he mentioned the structure in detail and published the plan [Rott 1908:276-282, Abb.101]. The other scholars, G.L. Bell and M. Restle have also mentioned the architecture of the structure in detail and published the plan. Lastly, S. Dogan researched the church in detail and published a book about it [Dogan 2008]. |
| Description: Architectural Features: It is in the form of "T" and in cross plan. However not all the cross-arms are free-standing. To the north of the west cross-arm, a longitudinal room that is separated by two supports locates. There is no corner room, which is symmetrically placed to this room, in the south of the west cross-arm. The south cross-arm is free-standing and the plan is asymmetrical. The supports separating the northwest corner room are in the form of double column that sits on rectangular sectioned double column bases. The grooves seen on the internal faces of the bases and columns show that the slabs were used to separate the corner room. The square planned central room where the cross-arms meet is covered by dome with octagon drum. This dome sits on large horseshoe arches. The dome is in the shape of semi-sphere and built with cut-stones. The zone of the transition is provided by highly damaged squinches. The cross-arms and the northwest corner room are covered by barrel vault and they have partially collapsed. The apse in the east of the structure is in the form of horseshoe on the inside and five-sided on the outside. The apse of the half dome has collapsed. The church is entered through three doors located on the west walls of the west and south cross-arms and on the west wall of the room in the northwest. Only the north wall of the narthex, which might have been added later, survived. The walls of the facade of the structure are regular and they are built with large cut-stones and mortar. The color of the stones is red and the sizes differs on each facade. The inner walls are bonded with a different technique than the outer facades. These walls are mainly erected with smaller and roughly carved irregular stones [Dogan 2008:21-40]. Decorative Features: The entablature on the facades of the church is decorated with thin friezes with geisopodos / dentils and profiled fillets. The majority of the friezes has collapsed. The lintels of the door opening to the west is ornamented with Latin cross relief in medallion. There is a Christogram inside a medallion on the apex stone of the horseshoe window on the west facade of the west cross-arm. Incised cross motifs can be seen on the walls of the façade [Dogan 2008:41-44]. The incised cross motifs and the writings on the walls of the church show that this is an important religious center that has been visited by pilgrims [Ötüken 1980a:269]. |
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| Interpretation: It is largely accepted that Kizil Church was built as the graveyard of St. Gregory of Naziansos [Rott 1908:281-282; Ramsay-Bell 1909:376; Dogan 2008:62]. It is believed that Kizil Church was built in the 6th century in order to protect the relics of the saint died in the 4th century and the corner room in the northwest was designed as grave for the saint [Dogan 2008:62]. |
| Destruction: |
