Saint Onuphrius in Snake Church/Göreme Open Air Museum
When you visit Snake Church in Göreme Open Air Museum, one depiction on the wall will probably attract your attention: A bearded man with breasts! But who is this? Why does he/she have a beard as well as breasts?
The History of Saint Onuphrius
Saint Onuphrius was born in Cappadocia; she was a beautiful woman. However, after the death of her husband, and to defend herself from men, she asked God to transform her, then would have taken refuge in the desert to lead an anchorite’s life. Onuphrius, with the body of a woman and the face of a man, thus becomes the incarnation of eremitism.
He/she left the world, took refuge in prayer and contemplation. Olgunlu says, one morning, Onuphrius woke up with a beard and saw himself resembling a man with beard on his face. Her body is appears to be a women while her face is just like a man. Neither man nor women…She led her life by thanking God for granting her prayer in the deserts of Egypt…
If you are interested in the life of saints and the history of Christianism, then we invite you to our Cultural Heritage Tour with the best guides of Cappadocia! Quick reservation link: https://www.tripsavvytravel.com/tours/cultural-heritage-tour-in-cappadocia
References
Maria, L. N. N. (2022). La légende de Saint Onofre: la métamorphose du corps féminin. The algerian journal of letters, 6(2), 11-22.
Olgunlu A. C. (2008). From the Mother Godess to Mevlana. From the Mother Godess to Mevlana. 1st ed. Profil Yayıncılık: İstanbul.
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