The stag is one of the oldest Anatolian allegories, used by the Hittite gods as a mount. Christianity adopted the stag as a symbol of divine love, and in a damaged but memorable fresco in this church, Christ himself is portrayed between the antlers of a stag. The Church of the Stag is also worth a visit for its sculpted iconostasis in one room and for the troglodyte refectory in the nearby monastery, which is accessed via a blind gallery.