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The Byzantine churches of Cappadocia, of which the represen- tations of Constantine the Great and Helena are the object of this article, are located on the Anatolian high plateau; according to actual knowledge, we count ninety seven churches(7th–13th centuries). We have distributed the monuments in eight groups geographically defined: Çavuşin area, Avcılar and Göreme area, Ürgüp area, Gülşehir area, Kayseri area, Niğde area, Güzelöz, Soğanlı and Erdemli valleys, and Hasan dağı area. In despite of the reputation of this region as one of the cultural heritage of the world, the physical degradation of paintings is notable. Except for several privileged churches, which are under the protection of Turkish government, and some churches in the Göreme site and Karşı kilise restored by UNESCO, most churches we visited between 2000 and 2002 are exposed to the bad weather, and have evident deterioration.
This writing covers all the Byzantine churches known up to now in this region, and we added new materials collected by research in the field. It has for the essential objective to index and to describe the isolated images of saints Constantine the Great (Constantinus I, Gaius Flavius Valrerius) and his mother, Helena, explaining their choice, place, and association with other images in the church.
The double portrait of St. Helena and St. Constantine appears in the cappadocian churches from the late ‘archaic’ period, and continues to decorate the insides of the churches till 13th century. It abounded during 10th and 11th century, reflecting the then current increasing cult of the saint Cross and devotion for these two saints; this fact points also to the constantinian ideology re-illuminated in social context of Macedonian empire which took the offensive for extending its territory. The image of Helena and Constantine decorates important places in the church; the portrait of other saints are mainly represented in the nave, however the sacred emperors’ occupy the place near sanctuaries: the wall or the arch of apse, where all the eyes during the mass converge upon. Helena, one of the most popular female saints of Cappadocia, is represented wearing the loros and the stemma sumptuously decorated with gems. With static posture and solemn face which reveals any individual emotion, Helena and Constantine hold up high with their arms the Greek cross represented in a circle; this is read as symbol of divine presence and victory.
This study also relate to the iconological analysis, that is, a deepened examination which can illuminate in a more complete way the representation of the saints, the significance of iconographical characteristics, their origin, their evolution, and their function in the current religious context. The intercessor role is one of the most important functions given to these images. The praying posture with raised hands emphasises this role. In the same way the portrait of Helena and Constantine relates to funeral ceremony; the funeral church is decorated with death and resurrection themes, and the dead are given prayers there; the portrait of Yusuf Koç kilisesi refers to the personal matter of donors, that is, salvation of the soul and the Parousie, theme awaken by the Cross of Helena and Constantine. The meaning of intercession connotes always that of protection. Especially, the image of Helena and Constantine represented near the entrance of church or of apse has an apotropaic function. In this case, the image shows the apostolic and protectoral role of Helena and Constantine in addition to the meaning of divine presence revealed by the Cross. Another role relates to the function of anargyres; the medals and rings called konstantinata prove the saints’ healing power. The specificity of the choice of Helena and Constantine reflects the particular intention of the donors or the local cultural preference. As we discovered the image of the Phokas church of Çavuşin, Nikephoros II Phokas and Theophano are depicted with intent to be identified to the sacred emperors, Constantine and Helena.
Intercessors, protectors or anargyres, Constantine and Helena occupy privileged places in the iconographical program of church, such as in the apse, near the entrance to the sanctuary, or in the dome of ceiling. Not being a simple decoration, their representation illustrates the function of the church, the role of the donor for the execution of decoration, or the contemporary religiosity.