Cappadocia is Turkey’s most visually striking region, especially the “moonscape” area around the towns of Ürgüp, Göreme, Uçhisar, Avanos and Mustafapaşa, where erosion has formed caves, clefts, pinnacles, “fairy chimneys” and sensuous folds in the soft volcanic rock.
The Bible’s New Testament tells of Cappadocia, but in fact this part of central Anatolia has been important since Hittite times, long before the time of Jesus.
How to Go Cappadocia
You can travel to Cappadocia easily by bus from anywhere in Turkey. It's easy to arrange a transfer or shuttle bus from Kayseri Airport to Cappadocia. The second one is Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport, which is located in Gülşehir town of Nevşehir Province. Turkish Airlines operates direct flight from Istanbul Ataturk to Nevsehir Kapadokya twice a day.
Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Cappadocia
1. Göreme Open-Air Museum
Just outside of Göreme village is the UNESCO-protected site of Göreme Open-Air Museum, a monastery cluster of rock-cut churches and monk-cells that hold fabulous frescoes. There are several churches and chapels within the complex, but the most important are the Apple Church, with its Ascension fresco above the door; Chapel of St. Barbara, with its red-ochre interior decoration; Snake Church, with its wall-paintings of St. George and interesting fresco of the hermetic hermaphrodite St. Onuphrius.
2. Hot Air Ballooning
For many visitors, going for an early morning hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia is one of Turkey's highlights. In high season, over 100 hot air balloons take to the skies just after sunrise and give you bird's-eye views of the valleys and their rock formations. Hot air balloon rides take around one hour and are available year-round, weather permitting. All tours include pickup and drop-off from your hotel.
3.Get down to the Underground Cities
One of the most interesting experiences in 10 attractions in Cappadocia is to go down to the underground like going to the center of the Earth. Do you know what awaits you in deep?
Here are some hints:
- The place was built with using splendid engineering skills and mathematic and have mysterious like Egyptian Pyramids.
- It is so deep like that there are some places that unexplored yet and we only have predictions about the depth.
- The place that under 10 meters or more deep, equipped with lots of capillary air ducts, it provided to live for thousands of people and animals without going up.
- We still don’t know why they needed to close the gates with huge millstones, but their protection methods are really impressive.
4. Ihlara Valley
In any of the Cappadocia travel guide, do not miss out on Ihlara Valley which is one of the important Cappadocia tourist attractions that attracts visitors for its tall poplar trees and fertile farming plots. During the Byzantine period, this was a favored retreat for hermetic monk communities, who carved churches and monastery complexes into the cliff face. The Fragrant Church and St. George Church are three of the best which cannot be missed. It is also believed that the valley housed more than 4000 dwellings, 100 cave churches decorated with frescoes and about 80,000 people.
5. Zelve Open-Air Museum
With its knobbly-topped rock cliffs speckled with cave dwellings, walking through Zelve Open-Air Museum is an experience of the Cappadocia of old. The settlement began life as a monastery in the 9th century, and by the 20th century was a thriving village. Due to erosion and rockfall dangers, the village had to be abandoned in 1952. Now the entire valley is a museum.
6. Make Pottery in Avanos
First, you will see masters in many workshops named as ‘chez’ at the center of Avanos, after then you will see the artist in you. You will be proud of your works from clay that get shapes in your palms and transform to a vase or pitcher. Making pottery is one of the healer things for mental health. We say ‘make pottery’ among activities to be done in Cappadocia and we guarantee that you will enjoy it. By the way, you will see many works that created from both clays and stones in Guray Museum, Avanos, and how the clays of accumulating of Kızılırmak River create an artistic population.
7. Uchisar Castle
Among many places to visit in Cappadocia, Uchisar Castle is a fascinating one. This castle is situated at the highest point in Cappadocia on the Nevsehir-Goreme road and is just about 5 km away from Goreme. Travel to the top of the Uchisar Castle and witness a magnificent panorama of the surrounding area with Mount Erciyes in the distance.
8. Red and Rose Valleys
Cappadocia's most beautiful intertwining valleys lie between the villages of Göreme and Çavusin. Here, the rolling and rippling rock faces arc out across the countryside in a palette of pastel pink, yellow, and orange cliffs, formed by volcanic explosion and millennia of wind and water erosion. Between the cliffs are lush orchards and vegetable plots still tended by local farmers, while carved into the rock are hidden churches and hermit-hideouts, which date back to the Byzantine era.
9. Pasabag
Among the many places to visit in Cappadocia, Pasabag is one which you should not miss. This beautiful valley is located on the road to Zelve while coming from Goreme or Avanos. In the middle of a vineyard, you can see remarkable earth pillars. The name Monks Valley was derived from some cones carved in tuff stones which stand apart even today.
10. Çavusin
The main attractions in the dinky village of Çavusin are two lovely Byzantine churches. By the entrance into town is the Çavusin Church with a stunning interior of frescoes. In the old village center, after hiking high up on the ridge above the tumble of derelict houses, is the Church of St. John the Baptist. This is thought to be the oldest church in Cappadocia, and its basilica-like proportions and fat columns are an impressive sight.
11. Explore the Tastes of Cappadocia Cuisine
You can find tastes that both belong to the world cuisine and the local food which prepared tasty by talented local people and have the essence of the Central Anatolian cuisine in Cappadocia. We have a suggestion, a very special presentation, if you are especially looking -local and specific- food. Although testi kebab is coming from out of the region, the cooking and presentation style is special for Cappadocia. Testi kebab is broken in your table and you will be almost full up with its steam. The tandoori and stewpan are the special cooking styles of Testi kebab. I Because of the meat cooksfor a long time it is more delicious than normal. Even the haricot bean will be different when you eat it in its popular place. Besides kebab, you should try the other local and special tastes such as dıvıl, kömbe, sızgıt and ayva dolması.
12. Join Wine Tasting
The region is actually the first grape paradise that comes to mind when it comes to the winemaking of Central Anatolia. The fame of the white wines that produce grapes of Emir spread to the world. The reason of the high quality of grapes in cropped from Hittites is tuffaceous soil. Tuffaceous soil provides having high efficiency grapes, protecting insects and creating vaults by carving easily. The vaults that carved into rocks ensure that temperature stays stable both winter and summer, so it provides the good quality tastes of wine. There are many vineyards around Nevşehir but Ürgüp Turasan and Uçhisar Kocabağ Vineyard are the most famous and oldest vineyards in Cappadocia. As one of the 10 attractions in Cappadocia, we recommend you go to these vineyards to taste the flavor awarded wines and buy them.
13. Stay Cave Hotels
If your expectation is comfort in accommodation, you will wake up in cave rooms that have local themes and the scenery of valleys in Uçhisar in the most luxurious hotels ranked in the world. If your budget is enough for the cheaper ones you can still find stone houses with local theme in Cappadocia. You will say ‘good morning’ to the most beautiful mornings of the world and will see both the historical living traces and its harmony with modernity in here.
