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
Göreme Town
Anatolian Houses – Cave Hotel
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
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
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)
Karanlik Kelise (Dark Church) Frescoes
Karanlik Kelise (Dark Church) Fresco
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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