Centuries-old church rescued in Cappadocia

he roof of a 1,500-year-old church in the central Anatolian region of Cappadocia has begun to be restored before its collapse. Now, officials need resources for the restoration of the other parts of the Red Church (Kızıl Kilise), which was included in the 2008 World Monuments Watch.

The Paris-based Cappadocia Friends Association’s Turkey representative Osman Diler said the association was established in 1995 for the Red Church to be restored and gain in tourism. He said the church was included on the list of the World Monuments Watch as a result of the association’s works.
“The Red Church was listed as one of the 100 World Heritage in Danger in 2008. This situation made things easier for us to promote the church and find resources,” he said.

Diler said the Red Church was one of the first churches in the Cappadocia region and had a significant place in faith tourism. “After St. Gregorius, who was one of the founders of Orthodoxy in the 4th century, returned to Güzelyurt, he spent the last days of his life on a farm in the area of the current Red Church. After his death, the Red Church was built in the 6th century, in 560, according to the carbon analysis results. The church has become one of the frequent worship places of Christians on their way to the pilgrimage [to Jerusalem],” Diler said.

Restoration of the church

Diler said the restoration of the Red Church had started in 2011 while it was in danger of collapse, and they received support from France, the U.S., Greece and Turkey.

“The cost of the restoration project was nearly 500,000 euros. We started restorations with the support from our members in those countries, benefactors and foundations. For the restoration...