Goreme Valley, Cappadocia

// May 2nd, 2009 // Travel

Göreme Valley is home to some of Cappadocia’s biggest draws from cave hotels and fairy chimneys to ufo sightings and the open air museum. The valley also serves as an ideal base camp if you plan on visiting neighbouring areas.

Goreme Valley

Goreme Valley

Göreme Town

Anatolian Houses - Cave Hotel

Anatolian Houses – Cave Hotel

UFO Museum

There’s no shortage of places to stay in Göreme Town, the more unique ones being cave hotels that have been carved out from the surrounding rock. Göreme Town has options for the budget minded (Rock Valley Pension, Guven Cave Hotel) and well-to-do traveller (Kismet Cave House, Anatolian Houses).

Top tip for travellers to Göreme – forget the tours and packaged itineraries… the best way to explore Göreme, and for that matter the rest of Capaddocia, is to pick up a good road map and rent a car. Tours to the museum are rushed and cramped during peak hours. By renting a car you can avoid the crowds and have the freedom to detour off to some of the more quirkier side attractions (UFO Museum) in the area.

Fred Flintstone never had it this good

Fred Flintstone never had it this good

Göreme Open Air Museum

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Göreme Open Air Museum, situated 1.5km away from Göreme Town, is a collection of cave churches and monasteries adorned with Byzantine frescoes dating back to the 10th-12th century.

St. Barbara Chapel

St. Barbara Chapel

There are 10 churches in total – St. Basil’s Church (Basil Kilise), Apple Church (Elmali Kilise), St. Barbara Chapel (Azize Barbara Kilisesi), Snake Church, Dark Church (Karanlik Kilise), St. Catherine Chapel, Sandal Church (Carikli Kilise), Buckle Church (Tokali Kilise) and the Nunnery (Kizlar Monastary). You read more about these churches here.

The churches differ in architecture and fresco style, if you’re pressed for time then make sure you visit the St. Barbara Chapel, the Apple Church, the Nunnery and the Dark Church. The Dark Church is named so for the lack of sunlight entering in, which in turn has helped preserving the original artwork. There is an extra charge for visiting the Dark Church, but its worth every Turkish Lira.

Elmali Kilise (Apple Church)

Elmali Kilise (Apple Church)

Elmali Kilise (Apple Church)

Elmali Kilise (Apple Church)

Karanlik Kelise (Dark Church) Frescoes

Karanlik Kelise (Dark Church) Frescoes

Karanlik Kelise (Dark Church) Fresco

Karanlik Kelise (Dark Church) Fresco

Kizlar Monastary, Goreme Open Air Museum

Kizlar Monastary, Goreme Open Air Museum

More info

The Göreme Open-Air Museum is open throughout the week from 08:30 am to 07:00 pm and costs 15 Turkish Lira. It’s best to arrive early in the morning or late in the afternoon to avoid the tourist crowds.



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8 Responses to “Goreme Valley, Cappadocia”

  1. Priya says:
    May 2, 2009 at 2:46 pm

    This is like another world. fantastic pics! I have to go visit this place.

  2. laradunston says:
    May 4, 2009 at 1:47 am

    As Priya says, these certainly are otherworldly. Stunning images – love the top one in particular. Loved our time in Goreme.

    I’ve finally added you to my blogroll, too – so sorry it took so long, flat out finishing some books with little time for blogging.

  3. Cissy says:
    May 4, 2009 at 7:14 am

    Thanks for the great pics! We are going there in 2 weeks and this just spurred my enthusiasm!! I cannot wait!

  4. ian in hamburg says:
    May 4, 2009 at 7:23 am

    Hi,
    Just arriving via your link on lonelyplanet.com. Great pics! We were in Cappadocia last October for eight days and loved it. Stayed in Uchisar. It was actually my second visit to the region, having backpacked through there as a 21-year-old in Spring, 1981. Göreme, like the entire region, has changed immensely since then. No hot-air balloons, no luxury cave hotels, but then again, no ugly white tour buses and getting jostled by rude tourists while trying to see the caves. We were all alone in the undeground cities back then, and it cost all of a dime to enter. I’ve subscribed to your blog and am looking forward to more of what you have to say about the area.

    I don’t link drop, but if you want to see some new and old pics of Cappadocia and Turkey in general, head back to mine and type either one of those in the search box at right.
    cheers,
    ian

  5. Derrick says:
    May 4, 2009 at 8:24 am

    Thank you all!

    laraduston: Ah, so thats why I dont see too many twitter posts from you these days… good luck with the books, and thanks for the blogroll link!

    Cissy & Pria: You’ll love the place, let me know if you need any info for your trip.

    Ian: Have a couple more posts left on Cappadocia – Ihlara Valley, Uchisar and the Derinkuyu Underground City… should hopefully get those up this week.

    Oh and everyone reading, do visit Ian’s blog – http://lettershometoyou.wordpress.com – he’s got some great stories and pics on Cappadocia as well.

  6. ouadamantite says:
    January 4, 2010 at 8:36 am

    Daca doriti cele mai bune oferte pentru inchiriat masini in Bucuresti la aeroportul Baneasa sau aeroportul Otopeni atunci va asteptam sa ne contactati pentru o masina pentru rent a car baneasa. Va punem la dispozitie cele mai noi masini din parcul nostru auto.

  7. Indigo Girls Poster « Porcupine Fish Design says:
    March 28, 2010 at 4:56 am

    [...]  I desperately want to visit the underground cities of Cappadocia, Turkey. Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)ADDY Poster DesignPotluck [...]

  8. Warren Harvey says:
    November 5, 2010 at 4:05 pm

    I am writing an action, historical novel that is set in the byzantine and persian empires. I would like to include something about Capedocia.

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