Cappadocia Places to Visit

How about going back 60 million years from the present? Cappadocia, one of the touristic centers of Central Anatolia, emerged with magnificent natural events and has continued its development until today.

Cappadocia, which has been very popular among foreign tourists in recent years, continues to be known more and more in the world with each passing day. When we think of Cappadocia, we think of fairy chimneys and hot air balloons, but this beautiful region has many surprises that we do not know with its weather, nature and history.

In our guide, we told you about the must-see spots in Cappadocia.

Urgup Attractions

We start our guide with Ürgüp, which we are all familiar with, even if we do not know, with which we are familiar by ear. Having hosted many domestic and foreign TV series, Ürgüp is the most famous region of Cappadocia. We strongly recommend that you add it to your program during your Cappadocia trip. If you are ready, let's start to see the features that make Ürgüp so famous.

Hope Hill

Temenni Hill, located in the center of Ürgüp, will definitely catch your eye thanks to its location. The hill, which has a height of 80 meters from the ground, has managed to attract the attention of many local and foreign tourists with its view. The hill, which allows you to easily observe the surrounding points along with the whole of Ürgüp, offers us the opportunity to see Erciyes and its skirts easily. On Temenni Hill, which is not the only feature, you can visit two cupolas and the tombs of important people who have a place in history. When you reach the hill, the cupola on your right is Kılıçarslan Gazi Tomb. This tomb was an important factor in gaining the name of the hill. Although it is not practiced much today, people who came to the tomb in the past made a wish, that is, they tied rags to the tomb. Thus, the name of the hill remained as Temenni. The other cupola is also at a point where you can easily see it. This cupola, located in the middle of the hill, was used as the Tahsin Ağa Public Library until recently. Later, the library was relocated and moved to the district center. Finally, another historical point you should see on the hill is the ruins of St. Georgios, which will be on your left from the entrance to the hill.

Visiting Hours: 08.00 – 19.00

Address: Temenni, Kılıç Arslan Cd. No:21, 50400 Urgup/Nevsehir

Asmali Mansion

As we said at the beginning of our guide, we are now at one of those points, Asmalı Konak, because it has hosted many TV series and movies. We can say that Asmalı Konak, which gave its name to the famous TV series, is one of the most visited spots in Ürgüp. However, the presence of two hosts in the series can cause confusion. To visit the mansion known as Asmalı Konak Museum today, you should go to the mansion in the center of Ürgüp. If you want to visit the other mansion that we see less frequently in the series, it now serves as the Old Greek House. In order to reach this concept hotel, you should go to Mustafapaşa, a town of Ürgüp, which we have mentioned in the rest of our article.

Asmalı Konak Museum – Address: Yunak, Hacı Hafız Sokak No:8, 50400 Ürgüp/Nevşehir

Asmalı Konak Mustafapaşa: Davutlu, Şahin Cd. No:16, 50420 Mustafapasa/Urgup/Nevsehir

Gomeda Valley

The valley, which is 5 kilometers away from Ürgüp, is located in the town of Mustafapaşa. Also known as the Little Ihlamara Valley, the area looks like a combination of many giant skulls when viewed from the outside. Contrary to what it seems, this valley with dark caves and huge hollows is a natural wonder with its green, stream and clean air. Pigeons are the main reason for these hollows, some of which look like 5-6-floor apartments and some like castles. These giant hollows, called pigeon sheds, are home to many pigeons. Along with all these, the valley contains dozens of historical churches whose names are not even known. Alakara Church, St. Basilios Church are some of them. One of the most striking points of the mysterious valley, which has no end of surprises, is an old underground city. It is very difficult for us to visit this underground city, which has a very small and narrow entrance like the rest of its structure. If you are an adventure lover, we have nothing to say, but we would like to warn our users who are tall and claustrophobic, think again. Do not be sad that Gomeda Valley is over, there is Üzengi Valley after it. You can witness the continuation of this beauty by following the walking track created to make your trip easier. However, we must make one more caveat. You may need to enter the water at certain points to progress on this track. You might be disappointed if you go unprepared, let's say.

Address: 50402 Mustafapaşa/Ürgüp/Nevşehir

Three Beauties

It's time to go to Üç Güzeller, one of the most interesting spots in Ürgüp, home to even legends. The biggest factor that distinguishes them from other fairy chimneys and makes them so called reflects the distinctive and mushroom-hatted form them being. For this reason, the Three Beauties have become a wonderful symbol that comes to mind when we think of Cappadocia. As we mentioned before, the Three Beauties also have a legend. Legend has it that these three fairy chimneys are a soldier. Yes, you didn't misread. The daughter of the King of Cappadocia falls in love with a shepherd man in this region and wants to get married. The king, of course, does not want his daughter to marry a poor shepherd and objects. However, the princess does not rely on this decision and runs away and marries the shepherd. When the king finds out about this, he becomes distraught and orders them both to be killed. The princess comes here to get rid of the soldiers and begins to pray. The soldiers turn to stone and form these three fairy chimneys, in front of which people today compete for photographs. If you are asking how to reach the Three Beauties, you can easily find it on the road going from. Kızılçukur Valley to Ürgüp.

Address: Esbelli, Nevşehir Ürgüp Yolu, 50400 Ürgüp/Nevşehir

Urgup Museum

If you are interested in history and museums, one of the must-see spots is the Ürgüp Museum. In this small museum located in the center of Ürgüp, there are also remains from the Roman, Persian, Byzantine and even the Old Bronze Age periods, together with the fossils found in the nearby region. Apart from these, you can also find ethnographic items from the Ottoman Empire in the museum.

Visiting Hours: 08.00 – 17.00 / 09.00 – 19.00

Address: İmran, Atatürk Blv. No:41, 50400 Urgup/Nevsehir

Cappadocia Art and History Museum / Bebek Museum

Cappadocia Art and History Museum, also known as Bebek Museum, is located in Mustafapaşa, which has been mentioned many times in the previous parts of our article. This museum, which is much more fun than the museums we are used to, mirrors the history of Cappadocia with handmade dolls. Cappadocia Doll Museum, which also holds the title of being Turkey's first handmade doll museum, sheds light on history by telling approximately 600 stories with approximately 3,000 dolls. Many of the dolls were made by Sibel Radiye Kül, who is also the founder of the museum, using a pasty substance called tragacanth obtained from the milk of the keven plant, wire and cotton. You can reach the fun side of Cappadocia's history by visiting this museum, which is presented in a mansion with more than 150 years of history.

Visiting Hours: 09.00 – 19.00 every day except Monday

Entry Fee: 15 TL

Address: Yukarı Mahallesi Gazi Sokak No: 6 Tel: 0 384 353 52 21

Mustafapasa

Let's come to Mustafapaşa, one of the regions we talked about the most in our article. Mustafapaşa, which was an old Greek village in ancient times, is also known as Sinasos. It is 5 kilometers from Ürgüp. We saw that many of the touristic places we described in the previous part of our article were either connected to Mustafapaşa or close to Mustafapaşa. However, if we say that this small town does not end, travel is the place. Now, let's talk a little bit about the history of Mustafapaşa. While it was a town mostly inhabited by Greeks about 100 years ago, the Turkish population increased with the 1924 Turkish-Greek population exchange. The majority of this increase is composed of Turks coming from Mardin and Syria. The biggest factor supporting this theory is architectural similarity. Like the rest of Cappadocia, the architecture of Mustafapaşa is very similar to the architecture of Mardin. While the number of stone mansions was close to 700 in the past, this number has decreased considerably today. There are also 100 houses, nearly 30 churches and chapels in the town.

The places to visit in Mustafapaşa are as follows:

• Mehmet Şakirpaşa Madrasa

• St. Nicholas Monastery

• Constantine Helena Church

• St. Vasilyos Church

• St. Basil's Chapel

• Hidden Valley

• Cappadocia Art and History Museum

• Marasoglu Bridge

• Asmalı Konak

Ortahisar Attractions

Ortahisar Ethnography Museum

Let's continue with Ortahisar Ethnography Museum, another museum of Cappadocia. In this museum, which is known as the first ethnography museum of the region, social life is animated with mannequins. If you are interested in history and museums, we strongly recommend that you add it to your itinerary.

There are 12 rooms in the museum that address and enliven different subjects:

1. Building Room (Perfect for those wondering how rocks are turned into homes, churches, etc.!)

2.Agriculture Room

3.Turkish Bath

4. Village Room

5.Traditional Cuisine

6. Bride's Room

7. Molasses Making Room

8.Weaving Room

9. Village Square

10. The Marriage Ceremony

11. Henna Night

12.Ortahisar Memories

Visiting Hours: 09.00 – 24.00 (Hours are flexible due to the restaurant.)

Entry Fee: 5 TL

Address: Cumhuriyet Square, No:15, Ortahisar – Ürgüp – Nevşehir

Ortahisar Castle

Ortahisar is an architectural wonder with its stone houses, giant cavities and vast caves, and Ortahisar Castle is another architectural wonder. Ortahisar Castle can be called a rock formation reaching 80 meters above the ground. You should definitely visit Ortahisar Castle, whose history dates back to the Hittite period, with its magnificent view and wonderful architectural appearance with the houses on its skirts. It has made it a place we recommend you to visit. You will definitely feel the history while navigating the tunnels inside the castle.

Visiting Hours: 08.00 – 18.00

Entry Fee: 5 TL

Address: Resul Bey Sk., 50650 Ortahisar/Ürgüp/Nevşehir

Uchisar Attractions

Uchisar Castle

In our opinion, if you happen to pass by Uçhisar, it is a must-see place. The large fairy chimney in the castle, which consists of the combination of two fairy chimneys, is called Ağa's Castle, and the small fairy chimney is called Sergeant's castle. In addition, Uçhisar Castle is the largest fairy chimney in the region. Thus, it can be easily seen from almost all of Cappadocia. When you go to Uçhisar Castle, you can see the Erciyes and Hasan Mountains at the same time. The reason why the castle attracts so much attention from tourists is its view. However, the factor that completes the landscape factor is definitely the hot air balloons. If you visit on a day when the balloons take off, we are sure that you will leave the castle satisfied. The castle not only contains these but also contains many tombs, cisterns and shelters. Although it may take some effort to reach Uçhisar castle, it will be worth it. If you have decided to visit the castle, we wish you success on this difficult road.

Visiting Hours: 08.00 – 20.00

Entry Fee: 20 TL

Address: Tekelli, 50240 Uçhisar/Nevşehir Merkez/Nevşehir

Pigeon Valley

It is the turn of the Güvercinlik Valley, which we think will attract the attention of those who are more interested in nature sports. It got its name from the people who lived in the region at the time, carving the rocks for pigeons. The local people who fed the pigeons in these cavities fed the vineyards with the fertilizers they obtained from the birds and used their eggs in the angles of the frescoes. Güvercinlik Valley, which offers us wonderful views with its fairy chimneys and other natural formations; It has become an indispensable point for those who are interested in trekking, running and cycling. The valley, which starts from Üçhisar, continues for approximately 4 kilometers until Göreme.

Address: Aşağı, Adnan Menderes Cd., 50240 Uçhisar/Nevşehir Merkez/Nevşehir

Places to Visit in Goreme

Love Valley

Located in Cappadocia, one of Nevşehir's most popular settlements, the Love Valley begins to fascinate with its length before you even take a step. This valley, which is approximately 4900 meters long, does not have suitable roads for vehicles. After descending for a certain time, your job will become more difficult with the water that comes across you. After surviving this part, the Valley of Love appears with its unique view. The beauty of Love Valley, which is equipped with fairy chimneys, is so fascinating that it leaves a quality and pleasant impression in your life that will not be forgotten in a short time. After completing the Love Valley in Cappadocia as a sweet adventure, the Goreme - Avanos road will be waiting for you.

Places to Visit in Avanos

Devrent Valley

Another legendary place of Cappadocia, which is so beautiful that you can't finish it on a tour, is Devrent valley. Devrent Valley, which contains churches, Roman tombs and parts carved from the rocks, was also used as a backdrop in the series Asmalı Konak, which was shot many years ago and watched fondly. One end of the valley structure, which resembles a U' shape, reaches Devrent and the other end reaches Kızılçukur. We hope you enjoyed this detailed travel guide we have prepared for you. We wish you a happy and peaceful holiday with your loved ones and collect memories that will stay with you until the end of your life!