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Keşlik Monastery (Keşlik Manastırı) is a cave monastery complex in Cappadocia, Turkey. It sits a short drive south of Ürgüp.
History of Keşlik Monastery
The monastery was built in the 9th century in an area that was used as a cemetery during pre-Christian Roman times. The complex expanded in the 13th century and was abandoned around 1300. In the late 18th century, local Greeks began returning to the churches and even left graffiti on the walls. The Greek community restored one of the churches in the 19th century. They used it up until they were forcibly removed from Anatolia in 1924 during the population exchange between Greece and Turkey.
Visiting Keşlik Monastery
The monastery is operated by a local caretaker who has overseen its restoration since 1999. Admission is 30₺ (as of June 2023). It’s off the beaten path so you’ll probably have the whole site to yourself.
Archangel Michael Church
The entrance to the Archangel Michael Church sits on an elevated area near the entrance to the site, to the left of the courtyard. Graves dug into the rock sit in front of the church.
Once through the entrance and into the narthex, an image of Archangel Michael on the opposite wall greets visitors to the church. The face has been chipped away, and the rest of the fresco is littered with graffiti. Much of the graffiti inside the church were prayers left by Greek pilgrims dating back to the 18th century. More recent graffiti is in Turkish.
The Archangel Michael Church has two naves. The nave to the right was the original church and was built in the 9th century. The nave to the left dates back to an expansion in the early 13th century. It was financed by local patrons with the frescoes completed between 1217 and 1218.
The frescoes are fairly well preserved save for a layer of soot from nearly 1,000 years of candles. White specks dot some of the images due to rocks being thrown at them.
The narthex connects to other rooms used by monks. One of the rooms contains a large stone that would be rolled in front of the door in case of an attack on the monastery.
Courtyard at Keşlik Monastery
The most important functional rooms at Keşlik Monastery are situated around a natural courtyard formed by erosion. There are over 50 rooms in the entire complex, and about half were used as cells for monks. Most of the cells are located on the upper level of the rock overlooking the courtyard.
Sacred Spring
First, situated on the left side of the courtyard, is the sacred spring. It supplied water to the monastery and attracted pilgrims. The spring, which has a modern canopy built on top, still runs in the spring and summer seasons.
Shelter
Next door to the spring is a cave used as a shelter. It’s made up of multiple rooms. Our guide pointed out that it could have been used for other purposes such as storage.
Refectory
The third room on the courtyard is the refectory, which is one of the most unique rooms at Keşlik Monastery. It has two halls with tables and benches carved out of the rock. The hall to the right is the original refectory and is a wider space, while the hall to the left was added later for additional seating.
The left hall is separated from the right hall by a set of arches. The table on the left is also curved towards the back. Another interesting feature is that the room slopes gently upwards, allowing the monk at the back of the room to sit higher than the rest. In all, the two sections could seat over 100 people.
Kitchen
Continuing outside the courtyard, our guide led us to the kitchen. It’s a large cave with an open hall and spaces for cooking and storage. The ceiling was black from soot and smoke collected over the centuries. The guide showed us evidence that locals used it as a stable after the monastery was abandoned.
Saint Stephan Church
The other church at Keşlik Monastery is the Saint Stephan Church, which is around the corner from the kitchen on the edge of the complex. The church is not in the best condition. The modern entrance is through a broken wall. The back of the church as well as the narthex and original entrance have collapsed into a cistern behind it.
The Saint Stephan Church is a funerary church dating back to the 9th century. There are nine graves dug into the floor of the nave.
The left side of the church has a series of blind arches decorated with faded frescoes. On what remains of the right side of the church are more frescoes, one depicting the Communion of the Apostles.
The apse has a stone barrier in front. There are three niches inside the apse as well as frescoes of Saint John the Baptist and other saints. A cross is painted on the ceiling.
The Saint Stephan Church has a flat ceiling with three sections of geometric patterns. The section near the apse has a yellow background with grapevines representing the followers of Christ. The middle section features squares while the rear section contains interlocking circles.
Hall
A large hall carved into the back of the Keşlik Monastery complex was once two levels. The floor between the upper and lower levels has collapsed.
The lower room of the hall was apparently used as a winery. There’s a shelf carved into the wall sloping slightly downward with a vat that could have been used to catch the juices of pressed grapes.
The upper room of the hall, which has a barrel vaulted ceiling, has a separate entrance. It’s the only decorated façade in the entire monastery complex, with a row of Maltese crosses painted high above the door.
Monk’s Cell
The final room we visited at Keşlik Monastery is a monk’s cell. It was a decent sized space with niches carved into the walls as well as a fireplace.
