ARICA VILLAGE, MOR AHO MONASTERY

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Mor Aho Monastery is located on a high hill, 1km northwest of Arıca (Kafro) village in Gercüş district of Batman province. Arıca village is located 50km southeast of Batman center and 9km southeast of Gercüş district center.

The church is placed on a rectangular area close to a north-south square. The narthex of the church, which consists of naos, bema and pastophorion cells, is in the west and has a rectangular form. The narthex, which is kept high from the ground, is surrounded by 4 rows of borders and a cross motif is placed on the pediment (Picture 1-2).

The naos area of ​​the church has a rectangular plan and a flat roof (Picture 3). There are cradle vaulted pastophorion cells in the north and south of the apse section in the east (Picture 4-5). The floor of the barrel vaulted apse is higher than the naos. The apse is accessed by a rectangular entrance with a stone lintel and a keystone is placed on this lintel. This entrance is surrounded by 5 rows of borders. The apse part is in a nearly square plan. On the northern, southern and eastern walls of the apse section, deeply built round-arched niches were placed, possibly superimposed on the walls to enlarge the section. The apse section does not protrude, and there is a lighting opening just above it. There is a square planned altar just to the west of the apse. There is a cross motif in relief on the front of the altar. There are columns on both sides of the cross motif and stylized floral motifs just above it (Picture 6).

In the southwestern corner of the church, there is a bell tower, which was built with a material suitable for the present, which was added later. This tower is domed, the tower is placed on pulleys and the pulley carries 4 columns. There are floral motifs on the tower.

On the eastern façade of the church, where cut stone, smooth cut stone and cas mortar were used, there are sections where the original masonry can be seen. Since the church was recently restored, it has lost its originality. In the northern and upper parts of the church, there is a 2-storey accommodation that was added later.