Christian faith in Cappadocia

Christian faith in Cappadocia

Turkey
Cappadocia
Cappadocia, deeply in the depths of Anatolia, is one of the most historic regions of Turkish territory and a land of exceptional natural wonders and unique cultural heritage.The earliest record of Cappadocia dates from the Bronze age as homeland of the Hittite empire after the decline of which it was annexed as territory to the vast Persian empire of Achemenides.Then Alexander the Great after conquering the Persian state extended the territory of Cappadocia as far as to the Black Sea.After that became Roman and consequently Byzantine region a period in which reached it's highest level of Orthodox Christian faith and culture.Due to the deserted and mountainous nature, it quickly became land of Holy pilgrimage for Orthodox Christians and hermitage for monks and Saints that in order to protect themselves from robbers and other intruders, built subterranean caves and churches to live in and decorated them with paintings with scenes from the Bible and other Holy Books. Even Byzantine emperors are reported to have ended their lives there in solitude and penitence.These places still survive in our days having sustained not only hostile attacks but also disastrous earthquakes. Subsequently Cappadocia became part of the Armenian kingdom of Cilicia and eventually of the Ottoman Empire and, nowadays of the modern state of Turkey.
The photo is just a sample from these churches and caves that served as residencies and places of Faith.