It is also known as Mikhael or Grand Church. It is located in the Subasi district of Sille, on the crossroad of Tatkoy village, near an old river. The structure is dated to Byzantine period, according to it’s epigraph over the entrance door, the structure was built by Helene the mother of Emperor Constantine, during her voyage to Jerusalem in327 and then it was repaired in Mahmut II and Abdulmecit periods.
It has for free coloumns and planned as closed greek cross and there are an entrance called narteks on the west side and ladders to reach to galleries.
Source: Info Board
Inside the building, there are a magnificent iconastasis in front of the abside made by some artisans from Istanbul. Some of the icons were kidnapped to Greece or getting lost and some of them were transferred to Konya Museum.
There is a dome in the center of the building, surrounded by high wheel over for pillars. Inside the building, there are frescos and gold printing plaster decorations made in rococo style in 1880. In each sides of the entrance door, there are paintings of Saint Georgios and Saint Minas over white horses; Christ Pantocrator over the dome; Emperor Konstantin and his mother Helene and two more Saints over the wheel; four Bible authors over the pendantives; over the South, North and east vaults 12 apostles and angles; over the West vault the Virgin Mary, the Baptism of Christ, angel, Eve carrying the forbidden fruit and Adam and Eve’s expulsion from heaven;
In the east part of the cross the God, over the half circle dome the Holy Spirit, in the beginning of the arch four Bible authors, and over the interior side of the southeast part Archangel Mikhael are painted. Another decoration in that building is brick decorations in the exterior side of the dome’s vault. Over the vault made of hewn stone, there are zigzag, herringbone and sun motifs. The vault is pepped up with thin and not sharp arcs located between each windows. The Turkish epigraph was written with Greet letters (Karamanlish) and located overthe entrance door. The building was being used as military depot and infirmary during the World War I. The church was ruined some times ago and it has been restored by Selcuklu Municipality in 2013.
(The screen seperating the naos, a place for the people, from the abscissa the holy place, and on which icons are attached on.)
Christ Pantocrator (the dome), Emperor Konstantin and his mother Helene and two more Saints (wheel), four Bible authors (pendantives), 12 apostles and angles (the South, North and east vaults), the Virgin Mary, the Baptism of Christ, angel, Eve carrying the forbidden fruit and Adam and Eve’s expulsion from heaven (West vault)
(The Virgin Mary, the Baptism of Christ, angel, Eve carrying the forbidden fruit and Adam and Eve’s expulsion from heaven)
The inscription reads: “327: This Serif established our church in the name of Aghia Eleni Mikhail Arkhangelos. The third restoration of our churh was realized with the orders of our majesty Sultan Mahmut and complated by care of Epitropos goldsmith XA (Hacı) Elia and by the intercession of Mikhael Arkhangelos. May God pay reward to those who seek his help and take paints, year 1833: February 12”
(The seat on which the metropolitan, the religious leader of the church, officiates.)
(A high placed liturgical piece on which the Bible is read by the deacon)
(A liturgical piece used in Easter ceremonies to hold the Eucharistic bread.)
Another interesting object which is exhibited in Aya Eleni Museum is a small mellotron. Although Orthodox churches dont use the mellotron for their rituals, this musical instrument is an important object due to reveal the relationship between Turks and Greeks.
The mellotron was commended to Mehmet Sudi Oğlakçı who was the district manager of Sille by a Greek family that migrated while population exchange.
This artifact which was produced by (Mason & Hamlin) in 1882 is a melodeon that was renovated and redound to the church by Selçuklu Mucipality.
It is known that during the world war the first, it was used as medical depot and workshop of artifical arms and legs along with a few buildings around. A wood plate used as inscription was determined among the goods belonging to church. It is thought that this inscription on which it is written “Medical Office” was used during the world war the first while church was used for this purpose.
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