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Cappadocia

Through Cappadocia

The surrounding region to the village of Goreme, concentrate most of the tourist attractions that make the famous Cappadocia: its arid landscapes, rocks sculpted by erosion, the underground cities, castles, monasteries and churches built in the rocks. The presence of Greek communities in this region has left examples of the Orthodox Christian religion in churches and monasteries, as is the house of the village of Mustafapasa.

The area is vast and required at least two days to visit the most popular sites.

One of the routes, at north of Goreme: pass by the Love Valley, including Goreme Open Air Museam, Çavusin, Zelve, Urgup, Uçhisar. One can also visit Mustafapasa and Cemil Monastery.

Zelve stands out for its castle, much like that of Uçhisar, but with the attraction of being able to find a traditional house dug into the rock, inhabited by a friendly couple, who apart to show the interior of the housing serves a light meal consisting of gozleme, ayran, and some vegetables picked from the garden just before serving.

Mustafapasa, a small, quiet village, proved to be a nice place to rest in this intense itinerary, offering a number of monasteries built during the presence of Greek Orthodox in this region, especially the elaborate masonry work in churches and village buildings.

The Cemil Monastery a bit out of the popular rout, has at the entrance a friendly and helpful guard, that speaking reasonable English shown desirous of a chat to break the monotony of being away from everything only nagging wife in the company. At the end of the visit we are asked to sit for tea and a few more explanations of the monastery. Despite recent works, the frescoes with religious motifs that remain on the ceiling and walls of the church have not been recovered, lying vandalized and dirty, and only with a help of a flashlight you can get an idea of ​​its beauty.

Although not extensively visiting all these places, the walk along the roads and through villages is itself interesting, the typical landscapes of Cappadocia, arid and rocky, where time carved the rocks giving them organic shapes and sometimes bizarre.

 

The second rout covers the more kilometers, and is recommended to start early: Derinkuyu, Belisirma, Ihlara Valley and Selime Monastery.

In Derinkuyu is possible to visit the underground city, a series of tunnels and stairways that connect halls, houses, stables, school and willing church in this labyrinth that reaches the five floors, and where you feel the pressure, physical as well as psychological, as that if you’re going down the narrow and low corridors.

This underground city, served as a refuge for Greeks, Christians, Zoroastrians and the Byzantines, who took refuge here during the Muslim and Mongolian occupations, protected by heavy stone doors, of circular shape, able to slide and block access to this city under the ground, with a capacity for twenty thousand people.

Ilahra Valley can be visited on foot or by following up Belisirma and toward the Ilahra of town you can have a wide view of the wooded valley that develops a red rock canyon. The green mass of trees that covers the valley, fed by a gentle river, there is a bit like an oasis in the dry and rocky landscape where the flatter areas dominates the cereal planting, but this time of year has already been harvested, leaving a yellowish creeping vegetation.

But it is the Monastery of Selime (Selime Katedrali) which offers the best performance, with the vast array of excavated buildings in the rock as well as a church and a cathedral have various facilities necessary for the operation of the monasteries, such as bedrooms, kitchen, warehouse, stables, wine cellar, dining rooms, etc. … And here also takes a broad view of the valley and the neighbour villages, where the houses built in stone and others dug into the rock.

Important note: to return to Goreme the best option, after visiting the Selime Monastery, is back the way that is again to Ilhara because going north toward Nevsehir, you must travel more than 60 km by highway, the that is far from a pleasant experience for what is a shaky scooter.

 

Love Valley
Love Valley

 

Zelve
Zelve Castle

 

Urgup
Urgup

 

Cappadocia
Cappadocia

 

Mosteiro de Selime (Selime Katedrali)
Selime Monastery (Selime Katedrali)

 

Mosteiro de Selime (Selime Katedrali)
Selime Monastery (Selime Katedrali)

 

Mosteiro de Selime (Selime Katedrali)
Selime Monastery (Selime Katedrali)

 

Mosteiro de Selime (Selime Katedrali)
Selime Monastery (Selime Katedrali)

 

Mosteiro de Selime (Selime Katedrali)
Selime Monastery (Selime Katedrali)

 

Mosteiro de Selime (Selime Katedrali)
Selime Monastery (Selime Katedrali)

 

Cappadocia_Selime Katedrali_DSC_0757
Selime Katedrali

 

Mustafapasa
Mustafapasa

 

Mustafapasa
Mustafapasa

 

Ilahra Valley
Ilahra Valley

 

Ilahra Valley
Ilahra Valley

 

Belisirma
Belisirma

 

Belisirma
Belisirma

 

Belisirma
Belisirma

 

Belisirma
Belisirma

 

Where to stay:

Goreme is a good starting point for exploring the region, as well as Uçhisar, located a few kilometers.

 

Where to eat:

There are several restaurants along this route, is next to the most tourist areas is even in nearby villages. However Zelve was in memory by homemade cheese gozleme. To get there, pass the castle and continue up the footpath, following a rough wooden signs indicating “traditional house”.

In Derinkuyu, underground city entrance there are several outdoor restaurants, serving appetizing gozleme with different fillings as well as other Turkish specialty.

Belisirma also has many restaurant situated by the river, in a bucolic setting offered by the sound of the small stream that runs through the valley and the trees that cool the hot, dry air of Cappadocia.

 

Gozleme saboreado em Zelve
Gozleme at the village of  Zelve

Transports:

The best way to explore the region is by renting a scooter. Cost: 80TL per day.

Maps are provided for guesthouses, hotels and travel agencies.

Alternatively there are three routes organized by travel agency covering the main points of interest.

It can use public buses bound for Urgup, Nevsehir, Ihlara, Avanos and Kayseri, to access some of these places, and the stop on the main road of Goreme, just below the bus terminal, almost opposite the only bank in town … uncertain times and no information on the arrest and buses, requiring request information from the local people.

 

Costs:

In all locations and need to pay a ticket ranging from 10 TL (Selime Monastery) and 20 TL (underground city of Derinkuyu), including Ihlara Valley, which is also charged entry for walking the valley.

The Cemil Monastery to be further from the tourist route costs only 5 TL.

 

Important note: to return to Goreme the best option, after visiting the Selime Monastery, is back the way that is again to Ilhara because going north toward Nevsehir, you must travel more than 60 km by highway, the that is far from a pleasant experience for what is a shaky scooter.

Goreme

The day starts early in the small village of Goreme, still with the cold morning air filling the narrow streets creating a labyrinth of stone houses; some of them using the rocks, which excavated provide comfortable housing that protects from the dry heat of this semi-desert region and from the cold winter, that here brings snow and ice.

In the morning, with the streets still empty is possible to feel the calm atmosphere of this small village, where women, wearing the baggy type “balloon” trousers, with flowery patterns, and scarf tied around her head, initiate housekeeping, cleaning the house, watering yards, shaking rugs…

A contrast to the pace that soon after will fill the streets with the buzz of tourists, with colorful costumes, wielding cameras and maps are headed to the highest point of the village.

Hence, in addition to having a global view of the village, which extends to Uçhisar, located a few kilometers ahead, you can get a broad view of wide vision and deserted rocky landscape featuring the Cappadocia, where the almost total absence of vegetation exposes the rocks shades, ranging from beige, gray to pale pink.

The typical landscape of the Cappadocia region is the result of erosion from rain and wind, which over millions of years was disaggregating these sandy rocks, resulting from volcanic activity… forming rock pillars, creating a sort of stone forest, tall chimneys or cones shape. Rivers, now dry, dug for centuries this rocky plateau creating canyons, creating sheltered valleys with excellent conditions for orchards, such as the Pigeons Valley, near Goreme.

Given the little hard texture of these rock formations, man has learned to take advantage of caves formed naturally to build houses to dwell. In the highest areas small holes dug in the rocks serve to shelter pigeons, whose excrements were utilized to fertilize farm fields.

Goreme, situated in the heart of excrement, is one of the towns that has developed with tourism and where the balloon flights are one of the main attractions, offering a unique view over the valleys and rock formations with flights to carry out with the sunrise that offers unique landscapes views. Here tourists gathering in large numbers, especially from Asia and there is a wide range of accommodation, with more than a hundred hotels and guesthouses for various prices.

In addition to the magical moments of sunrise and sunset, Goreme doesn’t offer many attractions. So trips to Pigeons Valley, near the village, were repeated not only by the pleasant and atmosphere of the place quiet as by existing orchards over valley, many of them abandoned, its branches laden with apples offered delicious snacks as well as provisions for the following travel days.

Goreme
Goreme

 

Goreme
Goreme

 

Goreme
Goreme

 

Goreme
Goreme

 

Goreme
Goreme

 

Goreme
Goreme

 

Goreme, Pink Valley
Goreme, Pink Valley

 

Goreme
Goreme

 

Goreme
Goreme

 

Balloon flights:

Despite being a “must do” a visit to Cappadocia, the balloon flights are expensive for a backpacker budget, at around 150 € per person for a one hour ride.

During winter, in addition to flights made at the sunrise, are also carried out flights in the evening, coinciding with the setting of the sun. The summer due to warm air currents caused by soil heat radiation does not offer safety conditions for the ascent of balloons, being carried out only one flight per day.

The flight is done in groups of 12 or 24 people, depending on balloon size.

Throughout the city there are dozens of travel agencies that organize these tours, which can also be arranged by hotels and guesthouses.

Goreme
Goreme

 

Goreme
Goreme

 

Goreme
Goreme

 

Where to stay:

Goreme has about 160 apartments, for various prices.

Alternatively you can also stay in Uçhisar, a little smaller, but offers the same tourist facilities in terms of accommodation, restaurants, gift-shops and travel agencies.

The choice fell to Whisper Cave Guest House in Goreme, which in addition to double rooms with bathroom also has two dorms: a 3 beds (female) and another 5 beds (mixed).

 

Whisper Cave Guest House

Aydinli Orta Mahalle

Güngör Sokak No: 17

Göreme / Cappadocia / Turkey

Tel: 00 90 384 271 24 68

 

Price: € 7 dormitory with shared bathroom

Breakfast included (very good)

Free wi-fi

 

Whisper Cave Guest House
Whisper Cave Guest House

 

Whisper Cave Guest House
Whisper Cave Guest House

 

Where to eat:

There are dozens of restaurants and cafes, more or less concentrated in the center of the village and some connected to hotels.

Many offer traditional food of Anatolia, where stews and soups are served in clay pots.

Cafe Goreme, situated on the main street is a meeting place of the local population, where men chat during hours in front of a cup of coffee or a glass of tea, which is undoubtedly the national drink of Turkey.

Goreme. Pigeons Valley
Goreme. Pigeons Valley

 

Transportation:

Goreme with its 200 inhabitants is not exactly a bus terminal, but just outside the village there is a bus parking area, were are concentrated several companies and ticketing agency.

Direct buses to major cities connect Goreme, and you can travel in night service to Istanbul, Ankara, Erzuruem, for example: Konya, Kayseri, where is the nearest airport, lies nearer to have connecting buses several times a day.

Cappadocia
Cappadocia

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