Gümüşhane Şiran Çakırkaya Church

The Çakırkaya Monastery was carved into a massive rock formation rising approximately 65 m above ground level within the boundaries of Çakırkaya Village (Kozağaç locality), Şiran District, Gümüşhane Province. It is located approximately 100 km from Gümüşhane city center and 12 km from Şiran district center. It lies along the Tomara Waterfall route and is accessible via a gentle climb up a wide dirt path, about 100 m from the main road.

History

No definitive record exists regarding the construction date of the structure. Based on its architectural features, it is dated to the 13th–15th centuries. Sources indicate that in 1848, Bishop Jeremias Georgiades reorganized the structure as a monastery.

Çakırkaya ChurchAnadolu Agency)

General Layout

The complex consists of the main church, a rock chapel located to its west, several small spaces carved into the cliffs, and service rooms at ground level on the southern side, all of approximately equal dimensions. These service rooms have not survived to the present day.

Church

• Access: Achieved via steps carved into the southern facade.
• Dimensions and Plan: Measures approximately 14.96 × 7.18 m and follows a three-aisled domed basilica plan.
• Structure and Roofing: The interior space is divided into three naves by two rows of supports connected by rounded arches. The naves are covered with barrel vaults oriented east–west; a dome has been carved directly from the rock above the naos.
• Columns: Of the eight columns carved from the rock, only one has survived; the others have collapsed, leaving behind pendant-like remnants attached to the ceiling.
• Apsis and Furnishings: The eastern end features a main apsis with a stepped synthronon; side apses contain niches.
• Lighting and Decoration: Two small windows are located on the southern facade, surrounded by carved ornamentation. A cross motif is embedded at the center of the ceiling beneath the dome.
• Conservation Status: The ceiling above the entrance door has partially collapsed; significant damage is evident throughout the structure.

Rock Chapel (Western Chapel)

• Location and Access: Situated to the west of the church, it is a single-nave space accessible via rock-cut steps.
• Dimensions and Plan: Measures approximately 8.30 × 3.50 m and has a longitudinal rectangular plan (Özkan, 2010, p. 79).
• Entrance and Narthex: The entrance, approximately 1.00 m wide, is largely destroyed. In front of it lies a forecourt measuring 2.24 m in length, separated from the main space by rounded arches, functioning as a narthex.
• Lighting: A single window opening, 1.10 m wide, is located on the southern wall; it is currently in a state of ruin.
• Apsis: On the eastern end is a single apsis, 2.90 m wide and 1.80 m deep, containing three niches. The apsis floor is elevated 0.20 m above the main rock surface. In the northeast corner, a rectangular rock hollow measuring 0.50 × 0.50 m has been carved into the floor.
• Decoration: The interior is plain; no frescoes remain.
• Exterior Feature: A water channel measuring 13 m in length has been identified on the western exterior surface.

Access and Environmental Context

The rocky mass on which the complex is situated dominates the surrounding topography. Natural tafoni formations are also visible on the rock surface.

Unlike other rock-cut structures in the region, the Çakırkaya Monastery stands out due to its three-aisled domed basilica plan. The western rock chapel reflects the typical characteristics of single-nave chapels; its lack of frescoes and refined craftsmanship distinguish it (Özkan, 2010, p. 81). The reorganization of the structure as a monastery in 1848 demonstrates that this medieval construction continued to be used in the late period.