Çanlı Kilise, Byzantine church ruins in Aksaray Province, Turkey.
Çanlı Kilise is a Byzantine church ruin in Aksaray Province featuring walls built with alternating bands of red brick and local stone. The structure displays a two-story layout with a cross-shaped nave and three apses characteristic of the period.
The settlement arose during the Byzantine period around 900 CE and flourished until about 1050 CE. Its decline followed the arrival of Seljuk Turks in Cappadocia, who shifted the region's political and cultural balance.
This church was the center of a Christian community that lived and worshiped here for centuries. You can still see how they decorated and used the spaces to reflect their faith and daily practices.
The site sits about 15 kilometers southeast of Aksaray city and contains multiple structures spread across the area requiring several hours to explore. Wear sturdy shoes and bring water, as the terrain is uneven and there is little shade in most areas.
The church's central dome was originally about 4.5 meters wide and 16 meters tall before an earthquake in the 1950s brought it down. Visitors can today see the collapsed remains and understand the scale of damage a single seismic event inflicted.
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