11. Araştırma Sonuçları Toplantısı - Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı

locks, but, by contrast, above it the walls both inside and out, are facedwith thin limestone slabs presenting an ashlar or blockwork face. Similarconstruction is seen on the south curtain towers and at the west and northgates. Towards the west end of the south curtain and at the south-westangle are two small churches 8.5 m long and 5 m wide, constructedastride the curtain wall both with external semicircular apses. Remains ofthe chamfered comice are visible at the south-west angle, although thewall is curved at the angle below the comice suggesting that at this pointthe curtain wall preceded the building of the churc. Apart from this evidencefor three single-cell churches along the south curtain, there also appearsto be a row of lean-to buildings towards the east end, one of whichmay preserve an inscribed apse. The south gate cannot be identified withcertainty. Winfield recorded fragments of an opus sectile floor on theupper storey of a building he identified with the south gate but no traceof this flooring now survives and the gateway can only be imprecisely 10­cated between south-east church and the central church on the south curtain.On the west side the curtain wall survives in a number of places withthe traces of three internal towers, but the major feature is the west gate(Fig, 1). This takes the form of an internal tower gate with a barrel vault,aligned east-west, at right angles to the curtain. The remains of an apsidaleast-end survive on the first floor, above the vault. The west wall of thetower-church stands to a height of 7.47 m above the modem floor of thevault and is pierced by a window 1.38 m high and 0.36 m wide. At thenorth-west angle is a square tower, unusually for Buzluca without evidenceof a church above it.The principle surviving defensive structure is the north gate, like thewest gate it has .upper storey with a second floor apse aligned to the east.Unlike the west gate this church is supported on a transverse barrel vault,so that it is elear that the alignment of the church determined the plan ofthe gate. Gate arehes survive to the north and south, but the ends of thevault are also open to east and west so that the upper storey İs supportedon four piers like a tetrapylon, There is a chamfered comice cmd there arefacing-slabs and decorative pilasters similar to the south-easth tower andwest gate. This gate provides the elearest evidence for the sophisticatedstone architecture and decoration found at the churches at Buzluca..Only fragments survive of the curtain wall round to the east side.Against the inside of the east curtain is a large building 15.5 m long by75