Bezirana kilisesi (Cappadoce). Un exceptionnel décor paléologue en terres de Rūm. Nouveau témoignage sur les relations entre Byzance et le sultanat

Abstract

This article deals with a rock-cut church (Bezirana kilisesi), dedicated to the Theotokos, recently rediscovered in the Ihlara valley (Cappadocia). The paintings from the very end of the 13th century or the beginning of the 14th, of exceptional quality, indicate that the patron of the church, whose identity is unknown, was a high-ranking, wealthy and literate individual. They bear witness to the maintenance of close links with Byzantium in this region, as well as to the mobility of artists, and bring new testimony on the cultural diversity of Seljuk Anatolia.

Keywords

• Cappadocia
• Palaeologan painting
• Melismos
• warrior saints
• ornamental patterns
• inscriptions
• artistic interactions in Seljuk Anatolia