Located in the town of Guzelyurt, Kokar Church is one of those churches of this region that deserve at least one visit. The church features frescoes that are well-preserved, and even after so many years, they managed to survive. It’s situated in Ihlara Valley and on its ceiling, an ornate cross is painted. The bright cave church is located one kilometer away from Agacalti Church and opposite Egri Tas Church. Burial chambers are present in the church.
If we talk about the floorplan, it has a tunnel-vaulted ceiling. Currently, the passage for the visitors into this single-nave church building is through the ruined apse on the east. Before that, the visitors used to enter through a tunnel in the back right corner.
The tunnel also leads to other rooms located to the north, visible from the staircase. People entering the cave church through a tunnel gave an impression of a religious parade. It was an uncommon layout, but it made it possible to construct an east-facing apse into the rock face.
If we talk about the church’s painting; it’s fully painted and has several amazing artistic features. The interior is filled with huge recurring geometric patterns. The colors, as you may already have guessed, are heavy and dark. For instance, rich gold, forest green, and maroon colors were used to paint the ceiling cross.
Let’s talk about the ceiling now. The barrel vault is decorated by a huge jeweled cross. The cross arms are thick and follow a rug-like pattern. Every section of the cross featured a distinct decoration.
About the burial chapel; on the west of the church, there is a funerary chapel. The window and doorway were created later to serve as a source of light and allow people to enter, but in the process, the paintings were broken. There are two rooms, each having pillars, benches, and formal apse spaces. It’s a must-visit church, and when you visit it, you can visit the nearby churches as well. Guzelyurt has many churches, you should visit as many as possible.