Best Places to Visit in Cappadocia

Tourism in Turkey makes up for a very thrilling adventure. In fact, you will find many cities, corners and attractions in Turkey that reflect the times, traditions and characteristics of both old and new. Out of the many enthralling cities, Cappadocia stands out.

From its cave dwellings, remarkable rock formations the hundreds of hot air balloons that soar in the sky during sunrise each morning. You can visit Cappadocia for enjoyable hiking and gazing… Gazing at its jaw-dropping fairytale scenery. 

Cappadocia is one of Turkey’s most visited cities and here are some of the great spots you can explore:  

1. Open-Air Museum 

The city is home to some of Turkey’s most spectacular open-air museums. These are outdoor museums that display splendid architecture and artefacts.  Outdoor museums are predicated on the idea of recreating historical settings.

A visitor is transported from the current era to the centuries where the buildings existed.  In a typical open-air museum, you can view humble cottages and workshops to grand estates displayed in historical timelines.  One of the top things to do in Cappadocia is to travel back in time through these historic monuments. 

Zelve 

The Zelve was moulded and carved during the pre-iconoclastic times. This beautiful artistic construction is located between Ürgüp and Avanos. The Zelve Open-Air Museum is an incredible sight and is said to have accommodated one of the largest communities in Cappadocia. In this noticeable cave town, tourists can explore various historic dwellings, churches, and religious chambers as well as an ancient town square. 

Zelve has the highest number of fairy chimneys. These chimneys have particularly sharp points and thick trunks.  

Goreme 

The Goreme open-air museum is widely recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. When tourists visit Cappadocia, Goreme tends to sit as an essential part of any travel itinerary. Historically, it was recorded to have been a Byzantine monastic settlement that housed some 20 monks in the 17th century. Its brilliant monastic artistry is visibly highlighted with about 30 rock-cut churches, chapels and monasteries that are1km uphill from Göreme’s centre. 

Being the most accessible tourist spot in Cappadocia, Goreme is perhaps the busiest for visitors. One of the prominent highlights of the museum is the Dark Church and the Buckle Church. The Dark Church and the Buckle Church also known as the Тоkalı Kilise in Turkish are one of the best-preserved churches in the open-air museum. These churches are decorated with remarkable cartoon-like fresco paintings detailing pivotal events from the life of Christ alongside His 4 major apostles.

Interestingly, despite being created centuries ago, time does not seem to tell on the works of art seen in these churches. 

2. Underground cities 

Visitors can also explore Cappadocia’s underground cities. The underground cities have been affiliated with Turkey’s historical roots. They are known as subterranean cities built to protect occupants from foreign invasion, allowing thousands of people to live their lives in total secrecy. 

Kaymakli 

Kaymali is also known as Enegup in Greek. It’s one of the most prominent underground cities in Cappadocia. The existence of Kaymakli dates to the time of the Hittites and Phrygians expanding over many centuries. It was carved by early Christians during the 9th and 10th centuries as a fortress against invaders in search of slaves and spoils.   

Kaymakli is recognized as the second-largest underground city complex in Cappadocia. The city consists of a maze of tunnels and endless rooms carved eight levels deep into the earth with only four levels open to the public. A large portion of the underground city is equipped with electricity for the comfort of visitors today. 

Derinkuyu 

Derinkuyu is the deepest city in Cappadocia located in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. The city has a depth of over 250 feet with a capacity of up to 20,000 people.  

3. Castles 

Turkey is home to some of the most exceptionally well-preserved Byzantine churches, shipwrecks as well as castles dating back from centuries ago. Many castles have been associated with terrifying legends, stories and myths. For instance, the Cildir’s Devil’s Castle is said to be inhabited by evil spirits.

The Kizkalesi Castle was built by a sultan to protect his daughter, who was supposed to die by snakebite. Tragically, a snake snuck into the castle walls in a fruit basket and even the massive fortress could not protect her from her demise. The Uchisar Castle was used as a fortress for defence against Persian invaders. 

4. Valleys 

Cappadocia is also endowed with some amazing valleys. It is hard to make it through the city without touring the Pasabag Valley, The Love Valley and the Rose Valley. At any spot on any of these valleys, visitors can take a moment to experience its beauty at sunset.  

5. Wonderful nightlife spots 

Aside from the breathtaking monuments and historical artefacts, tourists can enjoy Capadocia’s bubbling nightlife. One can have a taste of quiet enjoyment in Angel Café Bistro with its live band music from 8 pm. Or one can make a beeline for the Koza Cave Hotel which inhabits a luxuriously decorated cocktail bar.

Enjoy special cocktails made with local flavours such as a Turkish delight mojito or the indigenous craft beer. 

For visitors with a love for food, you’ll find a variety of outstanding local delicacies when you visit Cappadocia.  For small bites, while soaking up the sites of the beautiful city, try munching on popcorn chicken, meze dips and feta-smothered fries.  

Unfortunately, you can’t have the full feeling of the experience by just reading about it. Take action to visit Cappadocia, visit our website: www.traveltank.com to kickstart your process. With us, having an easy, fun and affordable travel experience is always possible.