Cappadocia, TurkeyPaşabağ, also known as Monks Valley, is located in Cappadocia between Göreme and Avanos, close to the Zelve Open-Air Museum. The area is known for volcanic tuff formations commonly called “fairy chimneys”, with some of the most recognisable examples consisting of two or even three joined columns beneath a harder cap of rock. They developed through the erosion of volcanic deposits produced by eruptions in central Anatolia. Christian monks later excavated cells and small prayer spaces inside several of these formations, taking advantage of the relatively soft tuff. One of the rock-cut spaces is traditionally associated with Saint Simeon. At Paşabağ, the structure of the volcanic rock can be examined at close range, together with entrances to former monastic cells and some particularly clear examples of the geological forms for which Cappadocia is known.
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Cappadocia, TurkeyDevrent Valley is located in Cappadocia, between Avanos and Ürgüp, and is known for volcanic tuff formations shaped by erosion. Unlike many other valleys in the region, it does not contain major groups of rock-cut churches or dwellings, so the main interest here comes from the natural formations themselves. The best-known rock resembles a camel and can be seen close to the road, while other shapes may suggest birds or different animals depending on the viewing angle. For this reason, Devrent is also known as “Imagination Valley”. The tuff developed from volcanic material deposited millions of years ago, after which water, freezing conditions and differences in the resistance of the rock layers produced the forms visible today. The area can be explored on foot, with many groups of formations located relatively close to one another.
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Cappadocia, TurkeyIhlara Valley is a canyon in Aksaray Province, in the southwestern part of Cappadocia, between the settlements of Ihlara and Selime. It is about 14 kilometres long, and its volcanic tuff walls rise to more than 100 metres in several sections. The Melendiz River runs along the bottom and played a major role in forming the canyon by eroding the volcanic deposits. Churches, chapels, monastic cells and other rooms were excavated into the rock, particularly by Christian communities during the Byzantine period. Ağaçaltı, Yılanlı, Kokar and Pürenliseki are among the churches that can still be seen, with surviving frescoes showing biblical scenes and figures of saints. Vegetation beside the river is noticeably denser than on the surrounding plateau because conditions at the bottom of the valley are wetter. Ihlara can be explored for both its geology and the numerous structures cut directly into the canyon walls.
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Cappadocia, TurkeyGöreme National Park is located in Nevşehir Province, in central Cappadocia, and includes valleys, volcanic tuff cones, formations commonly called “fairy chimneys” and numerous spaces cut into the rock. The landscape developed from volcanic deposits laid down millions of years ago and gradually shaped by water, wind and changes in temperature. People used the relatively soft rock to create houses, storage rooms, churches and monasteries, some of which still survive around Göreme. Entrances, windows and rooms arranged on several levels remain visible in the rock walls, while Byzantine frescoes survive inside a number of churches. The present landscape combines natural formations with evidence of human occupation that developed over many centuries. Göreme National Park and the principal rock sites of Cappadocia have been included on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1985.
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Cappadocia, TurkeyGöreme Open-Air Museum is located in Nevşehir Province, about one kilometre from the centre of Göreme, and contains churches, chapels, monasteries, refectories and other rooms cut into volcanic tuff. Christian communities used the area intensively between the fourth and thirteenth centuries, while many of the surviving sanctuaries were painted with scenes from the New Testament and the life of Jesus. The best-known buildings include the Dark Church, Apple Church, Saint Barbara Church, Snake Church and Sandal Church, each with a different layout and painted programme. Some decorations were applied directly to the rock, whereas others were executed over a layer of plaster. The complex forms part of the UNESCO property “Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia”, which was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1985 and includes some of Cappadocia's best-preserved examples of Byzantine rock-cut religious architecture.
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Cappadocia, TurkeyZelve is located in Nevşehir Province, near Avanos, and consists of three valleys where dwellings, churches and storage rooms were cut directly into the volcanic rock. The settlement was used for centuries and had an important Christian community between the ninth and thirteenth centuries. Surviving structures include the Balıklı, Üzümlü and Geyikli churches, a chapel dedicated to Saint Simeon and numerous spaces that once served domestic purposes. Entrances, windows, stairways and passages can still be seen in the valley walls, sometimes arranged on several levels. Zelve remained inhabited into the twentieth century, with the last residents leaving during the 1950s after erosion and rockfalls made parts of the settlement unsafe. The present open-air museum preserves a type of settlement in which the same soft volcanic rock was used for houses, churches, storage rooms and passages connecting different parts of the community.
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Cappadocia, TurkeyDerinkuyu Underground City is located in Nevşehir Province, in the Cappadocia region, and consists of a network of rooms, corridors and shafts excavated into volcanic tuff. The complex descends through several levels, with some spaces lying dozens of metres below the surface, and inside are living rooms, storage areas, stables, wine-making installations, water wells and spaces used for prayer. Narrow corridors could be blocked with large circular stone doors placed at points where access could be controlled. The earliest excavations are difficult to date precisely because rooms were enlarged and reused for centuries, although a substantial part of the complex served Christian communities during the Byzantine period. Derinkuyu is the best known of the many underground cities discovered in Cappadocia, and eight levels containing different types of rooms and connecting passages have been prepared for visitors.
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