Guide
The church of Saint Gregory stands in the Güzelyurt district of Aksaray, one of the finest works of the early Christian period in Cappadocia and, for its history and its architecture, of great significance to the Orthodox world. The emperor Theodosius had it built in 385 in the name of Gregory the Theologian, the scholar from Nenezi.
The building was a closed cross plan and has been altered considerably since. The most important changes came with the restoration of 1835, which turned it into a basilica of three aisles. Many churchmen were trained in the Güzelyurt monastery valley where Gregory, one of the founders of the Orthodox confession, had lived, and the church — also known as the Little Ayasofya — was always an important religious centre for the Christians of the region.
In 1924 the Greeks living in Güzelyurt left for Greece in the population exchange, and the church was converted to a mosque, taking the name Kilise Cami and opening for prayer for the people of the area. The frescoes and ornament inside were covered over to protect them, and the bell tower at the courtyard entrance was turned into a minaret during the restoration.
The wooden iconostasis in the apse, painted with madder dye, was moved from its place when the church became a mosque and arranged as the mihrab. It is among the finest pieces of wood carving, and the wooden ambo sent by Tsar Nicholas II completes it. The building is covered by a deep stone dome and takes light from twelve windows; eight masonry columns carry it and three slit windows open in each of the side walls. The women's gallery is a separate section on the left. Fine woodwork can be seen on the mihrab side, and to the right of the mihrab is a hadith written after the basmala: the Qur'an is of use only with knowledge. In the garden are a chapel, a guest house, a store, an oven and a spring held to be healing.
