190-year-old church known for its wall paintings to open to visitors

A 190-year-old Greek Orthodox church in central Türkiye is being prepared for visitors as part of efforts to expand tourism beyond the better-known sites of the Cappadocia region.

The St. Eustathios Greek Church in Incesu, a district of Kayseri province about 45-50 kilometers (28-31 miles) from the Cappadocia destinations of Avanos, Urgup and Goreme, was built in 1836 and is being converted into the Incesu City Museum.

The church, which features wall paintings, stonework and inscriptions in Karamanli -- Turkish written using the Greek alphabet -- is one of Incesu's important historical structures.

Its restoration, which began in 2021, was completed last year. The work preserved the building's original fabric as well as its frescoes, reliefs, carvings and other features, according to the Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality.

Tayfun Talasli, head of the municipality's Historical Buildings and Museums Branch Directorate, said the church was used as a place of worship until the 1923 population exchange between Greece and Türkiye.

It was later used for different purposes, including as a military warehouse, archive, theater hall and vocational school, he told Anadolu.

The museum's display and arrangement work is more than 80% complete, and officials plan to open it soon.

Talasli said the restoration was based on archival photographs, documents and oral histories of people who had lived in the area.

"We will create a museum on the ground floor, where we will tell about the city's tangible and intangible cultural heritage," he said.

Visitors will be able to learn about Incesu's history, architecture, notable figures, archaeology, gastronomy, agriculture and grape production.

They will also see artifacts, including ceramics unearthed at the nearby Orensehir archaeological site, Talasli said.

The municipality hopes the church will be incorporated into the wider Cappadocia tourism destination, allowing visitors to combine the historic site with the region's established tourist attractions.