6. A 1,500-Year-Old Church in Turkey
In February 2016, archaeologists unearthed a rock-carved church in the central Turkish region of Cappadocia, in Nevsehir. They discovered it during excavations and cleaning operations; painters decorated the church with frescoes depicting Jesus’ ascension, the Final Judgement, Jesus feeding the multitudes, and portraits of saints and prophets.
Because of the humidity in the soil covering the walls, they paused the work, and archaeologists had to wait until spring before removing the dirt to avoid further damage to the frescoes. Some walls had already collapsed because of snow and rain but were later repaired as part of a restoration project.