Selime Monastery

Historical backgroundThe monastery dates to the Byzantine era, when Cappadocia served as a refuge for Christians escaping persecution and later as a frontier zone facing Arab incursions. Monks established cave dwellings, churches, and seminaries within the soft volcanic rock, creating a self-contained religious community. Selime’s size and complexity indicate it may have housed clergy of high rank or served as a regional ecclesiastical center.Architectural featuresThe site includes a vast cat...