If you look at the Cappadocian cave churches frescoes, you will recognize the people in most of them easily. It largely due to the fact that the scenes depicted in them are common cultural heritage. They are pretty much imprinted in our minds. You might not know the names of all the people in the fresco but the overall disposition is clear. A woman holding a baby is Virgin Mary. A long-haired bearded man holding a cross-staff is John the Baptist. A man kissing Jesus on the cheek is Judas. And then there is Jesus Christ himself.
Normally, Jesus Christ is portrayed as a man in his 30s. He has long brown hair and brown eyes. His clothes are blue and red. He has a halo, of course, but so do a lot of other people in those frescoes. And sometimes the scene is not quite clear or the fresco is badly damaged, so it’s hard to tell who is who. In this case, you all you need to know is one little detail to recognize Jesus in it. A cross within his halo. According to the strict rules of iconographic tradition, only Jesus Christ is depicted this way. So you cannot misinterpret it.
One example of an unusual depiction of Jesus can be found in one of the Soganli cave churches. In the Yilanli Kilise, Jesus is potrayed as an old man.
Another example can be found in this fresco from the Ihlara Valley. It shows the Dormition of Virgin Mary or Koimesis. Notice anything unusual?
That’s right. There are two Jesus in this particular fresco. One sitting by Mary’s bedside together with St. John, and another – taking her soul to Heaven. It would be hard to recognize him due to the poor condition of the fresco but that barely visible cross really helps here.
