The church at Choma (Hacımusalar, Elmalı-Antalya) and its materials

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.