The Ihlara Valley (or Peristrema Valley; Turkish Ihlara Vadisi) is a canyon which is 15 km long and up to 150 m deep in the southwest of the Turkish region of Cappadocia, in the municipality of Güzelyurt, Aksaray Province. The valley contains around 50 rock-hewn churches and numerous rock-cut buildings.
The churches in the valley fall into two groups. The first consists of the churches near the village of Ihlara, which are decorated with paintings of a local Cappadocian type that show influence from Persia and Syria to the east. They mostly pre-date the Iconoclasm, but were often repainted in newer styles over time. The second group is located near the village of Belisarma and consists of churches in the Byzantine style of the tenth and eleventh centuries, known as Macedonian art.
The first group includes: Ağaçaltı Kilisesi ('Church under the Tree'), Yılanlı Kilise ('Snake Church') and Sümbüllü Kilise ('Hyacinth Church').
The second group includes: Direkli Kilise ('Pillar Church'), Karagedik Kilisesi ('Church with the Black Gap') and Kırkdamaltı Kilisesi ('Church with forty roofs', also called 'St George's Church').
The churches in the valley fall into two groups. The first consists of the churches near the village of Ihlara, which are decorated with paintings of a local Cappadocian type that show influence from Persia and Syria to the east. They mostly pre-date the Iconoclasm, but were often repainted in newer styles over time. The second group is located near the village of Belisarma and consists of churches in the Byzantine style of the tenth and eleventh centuries, known as Macedonian art.
The first group includes: Ağaçaltı Kilisesi ('Church under the Tree'), Yılanlı Kilise ('Snake Church') and Sümbüllü Kilise ('Hyacinth Church').
The second group includes: Direkli Kilise ('Pillar Church'), Karagedik Kilisesi ('Church with the Black Gap') and Kırkdamaltı Kilisesi ('Church with forty roofs', also called 'St George's Church').
Source: Ihlara valley - Wikipedia