Elmali (Apple) Church

This church, featuring four columns, nine domes and three apses, is of the closed cruciform type. Access to the church is through a tunnel on the north side. The original entrance was on the south side.

The original decorations in this church consist of geometrical designs and crosses painted in red ochre directly onto the rock This technique is also found in the chapels of St.Barbara and St. Basil. The church has been dated back to the mid 11th century and the beginning of the 12th century.

15 scenes are seen in the church about Jesus's life. Three of them are of his childhood, 2 of them are of his adult life and the other io are of his suffering periods. In the central dome there is a figure of Jesus Pantokrator. The other seven domes carry the figures of the main angels.Due to the damage of the paintings on the walls, the restoration and reconstruction are being done by the Management of Reconstruction and the Restoration Society of Istanbul and directed by the restoration expert Revza Ozil.

Scenes:
Deesis, Nativity, Adoration of the Magi, Baptism, Raising of Lazarus, Transfiguration, Entry into Jerusalem, Last Supper, Betrayal of Judas, Way of the Cross, Crucifixion, Entombment, Anastasis, Women at the Tomb, Ascension and portraits of the saints. There are also scenes from the Old Testament (Pentateuch) such as the Hospitality of Abraham and Three Young Men in the Fiery Furnace.