Kaya M.
Trakya Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi, cilt.15, sa.29, ss.175-196, 2025 (Hakemli Dergi)
Özet
- In this study, the presence of the Georgian population in Hatay during the
Byzantine Empire and information about St. Barlaam will be discussed. The Monastery
Church of St. Barlaam (late 10th - early 11th century) will be introduced as an example of
Christian Georgian architecture in its current state, with a particular focus on the upper cover
of the church, which has not survived to the present day. Additionally, the architectural
sculpture from the second construction phase of the church (late 10th - early 11th century)
will be evaluated in terms of its ornamental characteristics and motif repertoire. It is observed
that academic publications on Christian Georgian art in Turkey mainly focus on Northeastern
Anatolia, where Georgian kingdoms existed, and Georgian works of art in the south of
Turkey, especially the Monastery Church of St. Barlaam, are often overlooked, even when
analogies are drawn. In this sense, our article aims to draw attention to the little-known
Christian Georgian art in Hatay by introducing the St. Barlaam Monastery Church, which has
not received the adequate attention from academic circles so far. Additionally, our study is
also significant in demonstrating that Georgian architectural tradition dates back to ancient
times and extends beyond their present borders