Books

Books : reviews

Spiro Kostof.
Caves of God: Cappadocia and its churches: new edn.
OUP. 1989

There exists perhaps no site more arresting than the strange rockscape of Cappadocia in central Turkey. Buried within the heart of this incredible landscape of shapes and colors lie hundreds of monasteries and churches where Christian communities lived and prayed for the greater part of two millennia.

This comprehensive study explores the land and hidden monuments of Christian Cappadocia. In the new introduction to this edition, Spiro Kostof reviews the current state of scholarship on the rockcut architecture of Cappadocia and its painted decoration. Focusing on the physical setting, the buildings, and painting programs in the context of their creation, he discusses the nature and historical background of monasticism in Cappadocia; depicts the builders, artists, and patrons who created the monuments; and describes the sources and meaning of the particular types of buildings and painting programs. The volume also includes detailed line drawings of plans, elevations, and cross sections, as well as a glossary of terms, notes, a bibliography, and an index.