Clavis number: ECMA 130
Other descriptors: Church of Andrew in Cynocephalia (Kokar); Church of St. John (Ayvali)
Location: Ihlara Valley (Kokar), Rose Valley (Ayvali)
Category: frescoes
Related literature: Acts of Andrew and Matthias, Acts of Andrew and Bartholomew, Martyrdom of Thaddaeus
Featured characters and locations: Alexandria, Andrew (apostle), Antioch, Bartholomew (apostle), Cenocephalia, Cilicia, Ephesus, Gabadania, Galatia, Hell[ada], Hierapolis, India, John (son of Zebedee), James (son of Zebedee), Jerusalem, Luke (evangelist), Lycaonia, Mark (evangelist), Patras, Peter (apostle), Philip (apostle), Rome, Scythia, Simon (the Canaanite/Zealot), Thaddaeus (apostle), Thomas (apostle).
1. DESCRIPTION
Material: paint on stone
Size: undetermined
Images and inscriptions: two rows of apostles, each holding a book or plaque with the name of their preaching location.
Kokar Kilese: (Thierry and Tenenbaum, fig. 1, shown above) Peter (Rome), Andrew (Cenocephalia), Mark (Alexandria), Bartholomew (Gabadania=Armenia), Thaddaeus (Scythia), Philip (Hierapolis); fig. 5: Paul (“the whole universe”), Luke (Galatia and Cilicia), Matthew (Patras), James (Lycaonia), Simon (Antioch), Thomas (India).
Ayvali Kilese: (Thierry and Tenenbaum, fig. 7, pictured above), damaged figure, Paul (Jerusalem), John (Ephesus), Matthew (Jerusalem), James (Hell[ada]?); fig. 2: Peter (Rome), Andrew (Cenocephalia), Mark (Alexandria); fig. 6: Luke (Galatia and Cilicia), Thaddaeus (Gabadania), Thomas (India), damaged figure.
Dates: ca. 10th cent. CE
2. RELATION TO APOCRYPHAL LITERATURE
The ranks of the twelve apostles in the frescoes do not reflect the lists from the Synoptic Gospels; rather they are adaptations of the “popular list” of apostles adopted by Byzantine tradition, except for Thaddaeus, who sits in the place of John in Kokar and Simon in Ayvali (see Thierry and Tenenbaum, 232). Many of the missionary locations are fairly conventional and are found in the various apocryphal acts and apostolic lists. A few, however, are remarkable. Andrew is assigned to Cenocephalia (the City of the Dogheaded People), which recalls the City of the Cannibals (anthropophagoi) in the Acts of Andrew and Matthaias and related traditions (since the legendary cenocephaloi were considered man-eaters) as well as the Acts of Andrew and Bartholomew, which features the dogheaded man who the apostles name Christian. Andrew is expressly said to have journeyed to Cenocephalia in Michael the Syrian’s Chronicle (see Jean-Baptiste Chabot, trans., Chronique de Michel le Syrien [4 vols.; Paris: Ernest Leroux, 1899–1963], vol. 1, p. 148). Thaddaeus is assigned Scythia in Kokar Kilise (usually Andrew’s area) and Gabadania in Ayvali Kalise (thus reflecting the Armenian Martyrdom of Thaddaeus). James’s death is typically placed in Judea, not Lycaonia or Hell[ada]. Jerusalem (Ayvali Kilese) is an odd choice for Paul’s mission.
3. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Rodley, Lyn. Cave Monasteries of Byzantine Cappadocia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985 (Ayvali, pp. 207–12).
Thierry, Nicole, and A. Tenenbaum. “Le Cénacle apostolique à Kokar Kilise et Ayvali Kilise en Cappadoce: Mission des apôtres, Pentecôte, Jugement dernier.” Journal des Savants 4 (1963): 228–41.
Thierry, Nicole, and Michel Thierry. “Ayvali Kilise ou pigeonnier de Gülli Dere. Église inédite de Cappadoce.” Cahiers archéologiques 15 (1965): 97–144.
———. Nouvelles églises rupestres de Cappadoce. Région du Hasan dagi. Paris: Librairie C. Klincksieck, 1963 (pp. 115–36, esp. 128–31, pls. 63–64).
4. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
“Güllüdere (Cappadocia). Gli affreschi della Seconda venuta di Cristo nella Ayvali kilise.” Visioni dell’Aldilà. Posted 18 April 2020.
“Kokar Church.” Cappadociahistory.com (with images).
“Kokar Kilise (Ihlara).” Documenting Cappadocia.
“Cappadocian Cave Churches.” 360 Cities.
Entry created by Tony Burke, York University and Nathan J. Hardy, University of Chicago Divinity School, 15 January 2022.