Chapel of St. Barbara
This is probably the most attractive church in the Goreme Open Air Museum. Situated in back of the Elmali church. The small divisions, red painted figures and the well cared for architecture, flow unison. This church always surprises the visitor with all the different varieties of religious and absurd figures.

After having viewed the exaggerated figures and the icon-like saintly figures of the other churches, seeing this churchs paintings put them in confusion. The dome which is situated over the two oriental coloumns and the cruciform plan of the church shows the traditional style of the 11th century.

The hard to understand composition of the church is beyond the simplicity of its architecture. It is more like the absurd style of the iconoclassic period. It is thought that the cross figures on the sides of the small niches, which are surrounded by decorated triangles, represent Jesus and the holy bible.

The 3 figures of triangular shaped trees and the heads of the lances are very hard to explain. It is still not known whether they are described in the "Deesis" (Jesus situated between the virgin Mary and John the Baptist ) or " Metamorphism " (Jesus situated between Moses and Elijah ).
The cross figures all around this church show us the exaggerated iconoclassic ideas. The animal figures across from the entrance are mostly for the breaking of the spells.

Scenes : On the main apse is Christ Pantocrator, on the north arm are St. George and the Dragon and St Theodore, and on the west arm is St Barbara.