The church at Choma (Hacımusalar, Elmalı-Antalya) and its materials
Author(s)
Advisor
Öztürk, JeanDate
2001Publisher
Bilkent University
Language
English
Type
ThesisItem Usage Stats
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Abstract
This thesis evaluates the evidence for the churches that have been excavated between
1998 and 2000 on the mound of Hacımusalar Höyük in the Elmalı plain in northern
Lycia, a site that has been identified with the Choma known from ancient
documentary sources. Three churches have been identified, constructed consecutively
in the same location on the mound, the first a basilica with a triconch chapel, the
second a triconch church, and the third a small church that has basically a cross-insquare
plan. The plans of the churches are discussed, as well as their architectural
decoration, wall paintings, mosaics, liturgical objects and pottery, using comparative
material from other sites in Lycia and elsewhere to attempt to date the structures and
place them within their context in Byzantine Anatolia. Of particular significance are
the wall paintings and mosaics, which rarely survive in provincial churches. Despite
the limitations posed mainly by the lack of published comparanda and the fact that the
excavation is not yet completed, it is hoped that the presentation and discussion of this
material will be a step towards a better understanding of the Byzantine period and
Christianity in Choma, Lycia and the provinces in general.