GÖNÜLLÜ CHURCH

X: 41.491023 Y: 37.644915 Z: 907.89

Gönüllü (Derdile) Church is located in the center of Gönüllü village in Gercüş district of Batman province. Gönüllü village is located 42 km southeast of Batman centre, 12.80 km northeast of Gercüş district centre.

The Gönüllü Church measures east-west 16.00x16.00m and has a square plan. The narthex, located to the west of the church, has a stone lintel and rectangular form. There is a round arched pediment on the narthex. The cradle vaulted church consists of 2 naves parallel to the apse. The nave in the west has a rectangular plan and its upper cover and south façade have been completely destroyed. There are deep niches with round arches on the western and northern walls of this nave. Square-planned niches were placed inside the arches on the north wall. To the east of this nave, the passage to the nave is provided by a stone lintel, rectangular and round arch pedimented entrance. The nave to the east of the church has a rectangular plan. A part of the northern façade of the nave was destroyed. There is a round-arched window opening on the south wall. There are small rectangular niches on the east, west and south walls of the nave. The apse, located to the east of the nave, does not protrude outward and is made in the form of a semi-dome. To the east of the apse is a crenellated window filled with earth, and to the south is the pastaforium (small room with sacred objects on the north and south sides of the apse in churches) with a rectangular entrance with a stone lintel. There are 1 round arched deep niches in the north and south of the apse. There are crenellated windows on the east wall of these niches. The vaults, which are the surviving upper covering element of the church, were plastered with cas mortar. Most of the plaster on the walls of the church has fallen. Cut stone, rubble and cas mortar were used in the construction of the cradle-vaulted church.