Church with Columns

Direkli Kilise is a rock-carved structure located within the Belisırma Valley, within the boundaries of Aksaray Province. The church was planned together with monastic buildings and constructed in a commanding position overlooking the valley.

Direkli Kilise (Türkiye Culture Portal)

Architectural Plan and Building Type

The church follows a closed Greek cross plan and is supported by four free-standing piers. A central dome with pendentives is positioned at the center; barrel vaults cover the arms of the cross; and flat ceilings are used in the corner spaces.

Façade Arrangement

The cliff face facing the valley is divided into three sections by four vertical divisions. The western section contains the entrance portal and an upper-level window; the central section features the entrance to the narthex; and the eastern section has a pair of windows. The façade terminates at the top with a blind arch frieze.

Interior Spatial Layout

The entrance hall, originally divided into two stories by a wooden ceiling, has two rooms to its south and a church with an adjacent barrel-vaulted chapel to its east.

Tombs

Rock-cut tombs have been identified in the chapel floor and in niches on the southern wall, as well as in the narthex areas of both the church and the chapel. This indicates that the structure also served as a burial site.

Frescoes and Dating

Thanks to a Greek inscription on the plaster above the north apse and the main apse, the frescoes have been dated to the joint reign of Emperors Basil II and Constantine VIII (976–1025).

Iconographic Program