The discovery of an ancient Turkish church “could change the history of orthodoxy,” according to a report by the Hurriyet Daily News.
Specifically, it’s what’s inside the church that’s causing quite the stir: Frescoes depicting never-before-scenes of Jesus.
“It is reported that some of the frescoes here are unique. There are exciting depictions like fish falling from the hand of Jesus Christ, Him rising up into the sky and the bad souls being killed,” Nevşehir Mayor Hasan Ünver told HDN.
Discovered in the city of Cappadocia, the church is mostly underground and part of an underground city.
“When the church is completely revealed, Cappadocia could become an even bigger pilgrimage center of Orthodoxy,” Ünver said.
The Turkish city is known for its unique geography of “fairy chimneys.”
“The large, cone-like formations were created over time by erosion of the relatively soft volcanic ash around them. Past cultures have dug into them to create dwellings, castles (like Uchisar) and even entire underground cities like Kaymakli and Derinkuyu, used as hiding places by early Christians,” according to TripAdvisor.
The cones were considered some of the first safe havens for early Christians persecuted in Asia Minor.
“The Acts of the Apostles reports that Cappadocian Jews were present in Jerusalem during the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost (Acts 2:9), and the First Epistle of Peter mentions Cappadocia among the persecuted Christian communities of Asia Minor (1 Peter 1:1). In the 4th century three Cappadocian theologians—Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, and Gregory of Nazianzus—made important contributions to Christian thought in their writings, refuting Arianism and elaborating on the doctrine of the Trinity,” according to the Encyclopedia Britannica.
Perhaps some of these scenes will be revealed as archaeologists unearth more of the church.
