The Church of St. Jean, located just at the entrance of Gülşehir, comprises two storeys. On the lower floor, there is a church, wine cellars, tombs, a water canal and places for officials. On the upper floor, there is a second church which is decorated with biblical scenes. The church is one of the few single-nave churches of the 13th century in the region, and it differs from the others in the region in terms of its iconography. In particular, the scene of the Last Judgment is depicted in only a few churches in the region. The church on the lower floor has a single apse, a cross layout, cross arms and a barrel vault. The central dome has collapsed. As for ornamentation, stylised depictions of geometric shapes and crosses are illustrated directly on the bedrock. The upstairs church has a single apse and a barrel vault. Scenes depicting the life of Jesus are in friezes in bands. In the construction of niche vaults and facades, plant and geometric motifs are preferred. The Deesis scene is depicted on the apse, whereas the Gospel is illustrated on the front. Depictions of saints are seen within medallions in the vault, as well as the Last Supper, Betrayal, and Baptism in the south wing of the vault. The salvation of Mary is depicted under these depictions, as is the descent of Jesus from the cross, women at the empty grave, and Jesus’ ascension to hell. A Lust Judgment depiction is seen on the west and south walls. The depiction of the Last Judgment, which is only found in a few churches in Cappadocia, starts with the Weighing of Spirits scene on the right. In the middle of the scene, there is an angel carrying a scepter on one hand and a spirit-weighing scale on the other hand. There are two other angels right next to this angel. Both angels hold white drapes representing spirits. The halos of the angels are light blue and orange, a rare occurrence in Cappadocia. The naked and winged devil figure opposing the angels hooks the scale with one hand and pulls the rope of the hook with the other hand. Heads representing spirits on both sides of the scale held by the angel are depicted in front of the devil.
GÜLŞEHİR-ST.JEAN CHURCH
