Tokali (Buckled) Church (Goreme)

The church had been located in the Goreme Valley and is the oldest known rock church of the region.

Tokali Church by sarah&patrick

The church is made up of four separate sections; single nef Old Church, New Church, the church under the Old Church and the Side chapel to the north of the new church. The old church was dated to be constructed to the beginnings of the 10th century. Although the old church is understood as the entrance section of the new church, the structure is original with its single nef, cradle vault structure. The depictions of the Saints, the Joyful Tiding, The Visit, The proof of the Virginity, the voyage to Beytüllahim, the birth, the worship of the three astrologers, the massacre of the innocent children, the escape to Egypt, the presentation of Jesus to the temple, the descent of Jesus to Hell, The ascend of Jesus to the heaven and similar depictions are located in the church.

The new church is planned as rectangular in width and has a simple cradle vault structure. Inside its nef of cradle vault, the cycle of Jesus is processed in chronological order with colors of blue and red are frequently used. The Lapis blue is the most important property distinguishing the Tokalı (Buckled) church from other churches.

The width wide nef contains depictions displaying the life of Saint Basil, depictions of various saints and mostly the miracles of Jesus. The church is dated to be constructed to the late 10th century and the early 11th century.

It is the most ancient rock church of the region and it consists of 4 places: The Old Church with the Single Neve, The New Church, The Church below the Old Church, The Side Chapel in the north of the New Church.

The Old Church dated to the beginning of the 10th century is in the form of the entrance place of the New Church today, however originally it was a single – nave building with cradle vault. Its abscissa has completely been destroyed during the addition of the New Church in the east of it. The scenes are located on the vault surface and on the upper part of the walls. The syclus including the life of Christ is divided into panels in the vault and the scenes start on the right wing and follow to the left wing.

The Scenes: In the middle of the vault the saint representations; in the right wing on the upper panel: the joyful tidings, the visit, the evidence of virginity, the journey to Beytüllahim, the birth; on the upper panel in the left wing: the worship of three astrologers, the slaughter of innocent children, the escape to Egypt, the introduction of Christ to the temple, the murder of Zekeriya; on the mid panel in the right wing: the follow of Elizabeth, the charging of Baptist Yahya, the soothsaying of Baptist Yahya, the meeting of Christ with Baptist Yahya, the baptism, the Kana wedding; on the mid panel in the left wing: the the wine miracle, the reproduction of the bread and the fish, the charging of the disciples, the recovery of the blind man, the resurrection of Lazarus; on the lower panel in the right wing: the entrance to Jerusalem, the last dinner, the betrayal, Christ in front of Platus; on the lower panel in the right wing: Christ on Golgotha way, Christ on a cross, the taking of Christ from cross, the burying of Christ, women in front of the empty grave, Christ's going down to hell, Christ's rising to the sky. Under this panel: saint representations; over the entrance: the conversion scene.

Yeni Tokalı is longitudinally planned and has a simple cradle vault. There are four columns connected to each other in the eastern wall, a corridor risen behind the columns, the main absis and two supplementary absissae after the corridor. In the cradle vaulted nave, the syclus of Christ is represented in reddish and bluish colors in chronological order. The dark blue color is the most important feature distinguishing the Tokalı Church from the other churches.
In the longitudinal nave, the life of St. Basil, the representations of various saints and mostly scenes of the miracles of Christ are depicted. The Church is dated to the end of the 10th century and the beginning of the 11th century.

The Scenes: On the northern wing of the vault: the joyful tiding, the visit, the evidence of virginity, the birth and the worship of three astrologers; on the northern wall of the vault: the first dream of Yousef, the journey to Beytüllahim, the representation of eight saints in the niches below it, and at the lowest part: the call to Baptist Yahya, his being charged, the charging of the disciples, the Kana wedding; on the western wing: the escape to Egypt, the trial of Christ, Christ in temple when he was 12; at the centre of the vault: Christ's rising to the sky and the charging of the disciples in the way of God; on the southern wing of the vault: the first diacons, the undefinable angels; below this: the saint representation in the niches; and at the lowest part: the return of the son of the rich man, the return of the daughter of Jairus, the resurrection of Lazarus, the entrance to Jerusalem and the last dinner; on the western wing: the washing of feet; on the main abscissa: Christ on a cross, the taking of Christ from the cross, women in front of an empty grave, Christ's going down to hell; on the front side of the main absis: the first diacons, Christ and the woman from Samarra, Mary and child Christ in the niche; on the northern abscissa the appearance of the Prophets and the angels.