Monastery of St Nicholas

St. Nicholas Monastery is a monastery in the Mustafapaşa district of Ürgüp.

In the 19th century it became a sacred area respected by both Christian and Muslim peoples in Mustafapaşa, then called Sinasos, and a center of social activities. It is dedicated to Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, who in Western culture has become the figure of Santa Claus.

It consists of four adjoining spaces, some of which are built of brick and the larger part carved into rock. In addition to the main church dedicated to Saint Nicholas, it includes churches dedicated to Saint Barbara, Saint Savvas and Saint Menas, as well as sick cells, a fountain and burial places.

Location

It is located south of Mustafapaşa, about 1 kilometre from the settlement centre. It lies within the Monastery Valley accessed via Dere Street. The terrain in which it is situated contains rock formations of various shapes and rock‑carved shelters, churches and chapels, water channels and canals.

Architectural structure and history

The building complex, the main religious complex of the Monastery Valley, is dedicated to Saint Nicholas, who is highly revered by the local population. Although there are other saints with the same name, the cult here is considered to be associated with Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, whose veneration became popular after the 9th century, is celebrated on December 6, and over time turned into the "Santa Claus" figure in Western culture.

The monastery, consisting of three floors, has a mixed structure using both rock‑cut and brick techniques. Ignimbrite was used in its construction. The monastery courtyard is entered through a double‑arched, decorated gate on the northwest side.

According to the Orthodox Greek community, each saint is believed to have a distinct identity and charisma, so within the monastery churches dedicated to different saints have been formed. The main church of the monastery is the Saint Nikolaos Church, built in the middle of the largest mushroom-shaped monolithic rock in the area.

Considered the oldest unit of the whole complex, the domed and enclosed Greek cross plan Saint Nikolaos Church is dated to the Middle Ages based on the stylistic features of its wall paintings. Although its present form is thought to have taken shape in the first half of the 19th century, an icon gifted to the monastery by the grocers' guild in 1775 proves that the monastery’s past dates back further. The said icon was taken to Greece during an exchange.

Including the main church dedicated to Saint Nikolaos, four different worship areas are arranged irregularly in the eastern part of the monastery along a north‑south axis. In the western part there are sick cells, burial areas and a fountain. In the southwest of the courtyard there is a fairy chimney thought to have been used as the monastery’s kitchen.

It is known that the building complex underwent a repair between 1870 and 1877. From a photograph of the building dated 1924, the existence of a cornice no longer present today, stone steps leading to the roof, and a bell tower can be understood.

Social and cultural impact

In the 19th century, the monastery, one of the centers of social life in Sinasos (Mustafapaşa), was a magnet not only for Greeks but also for the Turkish population of the region. The widespread belief that the water of the fountain in the courtyard was healing caused both communities to visit the monastery seeking cures for their illnesses.

Because the feast days of Saint Nicholas, Saint Barbara and Saint Sabbas fall on the same days, special celebrations were held at the Saint Nicholas Monastery from December 3 to 8. In the church service, priests of the parish churches, Greeks and Turks were present. On December 6, the feast day of Saint Nicholas, the people who stayed in the monastery until noon would, when the church bells began to ring, carry icons out of the monastery, and attend the service at the Archangel Church in the same settlement together with the service at the Constantine and Helena Church. Giant candles sent from Istanbul, Jerusalem and Russia were lit in front of the saint’s icon at the Saint Nicholas Monastery. The Turkish population of Sinasos also sent gifts such as oil, wax, jewelry, gold, and animals to the monastery. It is narrated that the Turks entered the church, lit candles, stood motionless and remained until the end of the service.

Wall paintings

In the southern church section of the building, wall paintings depicting scenes from the Gospel and the Torah are found. Because they have been destroyed and covered with plaster, their subjects and stylistic features cannot be determined clearly. In the dome of the church’s naos, Pantokrator Jesus; in the narthex dome, a Pentecost scene; on the narthex lintels, “Three Young Hebrews in the Oven” and two Deesis scenes are present.

For the preservation and research of the wall paintings in the monastery, studies are being carried out by the Nevşehir Restoration and Conservation Regional Laboratory Directorate with the support of the Nevşehir Governorship, and these studies have been presented since 2022 at the international conference titled “Preservation and Research of Wall Paintings in the Cappadocia Region” held annually in Nevşehir.