Şahinefendi Köyü (Nevşehir) Geç Antik Dönem ve Sonrasına Ait Arkeolojik Kalıntılar

Abstract

This dissertation focuses on the archeological remains from late antique to the later periods in Sahinefendi Village (Nevsehir). Sahinefendi Village is located in Urgup, Nevsehir. Archeological remains are located on the south side of the village, close to the spring of the Damsa River. This place is called “Orencik” by the villagers. Religious buildings, public baths, houses and graves were discovered in the residential area as a result of the excavations performed by Nevsehir Archaeology Museum between 2002-2005, and 2010-2011.

The period in which the village had been constructed and occupied by the villagers, the characteristics of the settlement, the problem of the localization, and the functionality of the buildings in the village throughout that period are evaluated in the dissertation. Furthermore, “Comes domorum per cappadociam”, a foundation specific to Cappadocia that manages the imperial properties in the Roman and Early Byzantine periods, was a subject of evaluation. Here with,the institutions of chorepiscopoi that evolved with the spread of Christianity were dwelt upon with respect to the administrative structures of the residential area.

The location where the archeological excavations were carried out is called Sobesos. However, there exist no written document that confirms this name. Accourding to our evaluations Sahinefendi Village was first occupied in the fourth century A.D. The structure that could be dated to the first building phase and to which we refer as no. I is situated in the south part of the village. This two-storied building displays the features of the other upper-class buildings in the same area. The building was used as a church in its second phase and around it was formed a graveyard. In the third and last phase, a single-naved church was built in the atrium of the building. To the south of the building no. I, there exists another single-naved chapel with an atrium, to which we refer as a cemetery chapel. Building II is placed to the north of building I in the residential area. Today visible are the remains of the atrium of the building no. II and of some other buildings to its east. The line-style public bathhouse, as a common type in Late Antiquity, must also date to the same period. Building II and the public bathhouse were used with some modifications during later phases. It is also observed that other new structures were built in the village.

The lack of archeological data on the region of Cappadocia in Late Antique period makes Sahinefendi Village extremely important. To this respect, the dissertation aims a thorough consideration and evaluation on the village and its residential area.