Turkey's Red Church

Today we visited the Red Church, a historic 6th century church that my friend Ahmet Diler of Kirkit Voyage is working to save. Ahmet took us on a tour and we interviewed him about his efforts. Since we at Equitrekking are into preserving historic structures (we like to visit them ; ), we were especially interested in this beautiful church. The church has caught the attention of the World Monuments Fund who in 2008 listed the Red Church on its watch list of the 100 most endangered sites.

I particularly like the setting. It's right outside of one of my favorite villages in Turkey, Guzelyurt. The church stands alone amid these beautiful open fields, cut by old stone fences. Beside the church lies an old pilgrimage road that leads from Istanbul to Jerusalem. It's quite a setting and the architecture of the church is spectacular. Here's more information on Ahmet's efforts and here's quick video of the Red Church.

Darley Newman is an equestrian travel expert and the host of the Emmy Award-winning PBS TV show Equitrekking®, which takes viewers on horseback riding vacations around the world. Purchase Equitrekking DVDs, the Equitrekking Travel Adventures on Horseback book and horse gift itmes at ShopDarley.com

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