Soğanlı Vadisi Örneğinde Kappadokia Bölgesinde Güçlüler ve Aristokratlar

Abstract

Dynatoi in the Soğanlı Valley in particular and in the Cappadocia region in general is examined through the analysis of several historical primary texts, primary strategical writings, archeological data in the field and three dimensional laser scanning of the monuments. The churches of three separate complexes in the valley, one of which is completely lost, bear three patron inscriptions that directly display the titles of the local dynatoi. By taking these inscriptions as the starting point of the dissertation that aims to deal with the phenomenon of “changing hands”, we handled the legal meanings of the inscriptions, what they mean within the concept of a border region, and what kind of complexes these churches were attached to. In this respect, the complexes of St. Barbara, Geyikli and Karabaş were primarily examined through their architectural details, the style and iconography of their wall paintings, their location in the topography of the valley, and their functions/types and possible relations between eachother. Such an assessment on the chronology of the Soğanlı Valley allowed us to understand the role of the valley as a Byzantine village in the 10th century and the role of it in the 11th century that changed with the land and military policy of the empire. We tried to understand the impact of the dynatoi on their very settlement (and the impact of the geographical location of the settlement on the insertion of the dynatoi into it); in addition to this, the connection of the dynatoi to the religion and art is also examined. The other churches in the region which bear the titles of the powerful are briefly handled. The aim was to see in what type of settlements these churches are located, whether these settlements have the same legal meaning with the Soğanlı Valley, and whether the territorial boundaries of the powerful could be specified.