Here is the list of places to visit in Nevşehir and Cappadocia, the capital of culture and tourism with its mythological nature, which brought prehistoric times to the present day.

What’s Nevşehir and Cappadocia like?

Imagine such a place! Let it speak for itself with its mysterious appearance in all four seasons. This region, where beautiful horses were once bred, sometimes resembles a desert with its desolate and barren appearance, a beautiful valley in spring, and a different planet with its interesting rock structures. 

When my 14-year-old son at that time saw  Furkan Fairy Chimneys

He said, ” This place cannot belong to Earth”.

Oof, how hot. Far easterners are traveling with umbrellas here. 🙂

With the tradition brought by hundreds of years, with the fertile lands of Cappadocia , grapes have turned into wine and tables, soil into pottery and yarn into rugs.

This natural wonder worked by the lava sprayed by Mount Erciyes , Hasandağ and Güllü Mountain in prehistoric times, eroded by rain, wind, snow and erosion.Turkey It became the gateway to the world.

Nevşehir Places to Visit;

Acıgöl with its crater lake , Avanos with its pottery , the underground cities of Kaymaklı and Derinkuyu that hide their mysteries, and the monks’ center Gülşehir , Hacıbektaş , where all humanity embraces , Kozaklı with its thermal springs and Ürgüp with its fairy chimneys are Nevşehir ‘s greatest riches. You almost live in history in the hotels you stay here and the museums you visit.

Especially the churches carved into the rocks in Göreme and Uçhisar are the most important witnesses of the past.

Nevşehir Places to Visit :

  • Nevşehir Castle (2 km. 6 minutes)
  • Nevşehir Museum (1 km. 4 minutes)
  • Damat İbrahim Pasha Complex (in the center)
  • Kurşunlu Mosque (in the center)
  • Historical Black Mosque (in the center)
  • The old prison and the Virgin Mary church (near the castle)

Derinkuyu, Kaymaklı, Özlüce and Özkonak underground cities;

One of the historical features of Cappadocia is BC. Together with the finds reaching up to 7 thousand years, collective life with the Hittites was reached. They are underground settlements. The Derinkuyu underground city, which can be descended 8 floors, and the Kaymaklı Underground City, whose size has not even been determined, still preserves its mystery today. We preferred Kaymaklı Underground City with my son. The magnificence of the mysterious underground city, where we could only visit the first 3 floors, was unbelievable. It was scary for me to even think about the experiences in these underground cities at that time. Have your museum card with you. Otherwise, the entrance fee is 35 TL per person. for your information.

3rd century AD. On the other hand, the Christians who came to the region used the underground cities to hide from the Roman soldiers and to spread their religion. Nowadays, it seems to take its visitors like us from the day and throw them into the past.

Nevşehir Castle;

Although it is not known exactly when the castle, which is located in the Old Quarter of Nevşehir, was built, it is thought to have been built for the security of the Baghdad Caravan Road in the 12th century during the Seljuk period.

Nevşehir Castle, There were restoration works. We couldn’t enter.

Underground cities were found during excavations in the neighborhoods around the castle. Hz. A church with frescoes depicting the ascension of Jesus to the sky and the monastery built by carving the rocks in the 5th century are the most important historical artifacts found in the underground city.

Nevşehir Cappadocia Fairy Chimneys:

Fairy Chimneys, which have a different beauty in 4 seasons, are one of the biggest reasons that will bring you to Nevşehir . The most beautiful of all is the fairy chimney family, which is used even in world tourism promotions and has become the symbol of Cappadocia, known as the Three  Beauties.

Three Beauties Fairy Chimneys

We can say that this fairy chimney family, named Three Beauties, receives 2 million visitors from all over the world annually. It has a magnificent view with the valleys behind it and the Erciyes mountain on the horizon.

Nevşehirli Damat İbrahim Pasha Complex is one of the Ottoman works on Turkish-Islamic culture in Nevşehir.

The worship center, which was built as a complex, was built in the 18th century by Damat İbrahim Pasha from Nevşehir . There are madrasah, caravanserai, school, mosque, fountain and bath inside the complex. This complex, located in Nevşehir Center, is still used for worship.

Ibrahim Pasha Complex

Haci Bektashi Veli Tomb ;  It gives the message of “Do not hurt even if you are hurt”   to all the people of the world.

There is the town of Hacibektas , located on the Kırşehir road, 45 km from Nevşehir . He took it from the Islamic thinker Hacı Bektaş Veli. Hacı Bektaş Veli, who came during the Anatolian Seljuk period, made great contributions to the unification of the Turks and especially the people of the whole region. For this purpose, he established a school and trained students to spread this culture and life in a place called Suluca Kara Höyük.

Nevşehir Virgin Mary Church and Prison;

It was used as a Nevşehir prison between 1950-1983 and also hosted celebrities such as Yılmaz Güney. When the prison emptied the building in 1983, the process of ruining the building began.

The Virgin Mary Church , which is said to be the largest in the world , was opened for worship by the Greeks in the region in 1849. It was used as a prison in Nevşehir until 1983 during the exchange with the Greeks. 

Valleys to visit in Cappadocia;

The adventurous valleys in Nevşehir that immerse Cappadocia in various mysteries. You can even take a guided tour with ATV motor tours, horse sightseeing tours, or rental bikes to visit the valleys, which are quite large and large. Long walking tours to the valleys are also organized with a guide.

I’ve visited 3-4 of them. I can say that words are not enough.

Cappadocia Places to Visit

(Distance to Nevşehir Center)

  • Uçhisar Castle (8 km. 13 minutes)
  • Güvercinlik Valley (10 km. 14 minutes)
  • Pasabaglari museum and ruins  (20 km. 25 minutes)
  • Göreme historical national park (17 km, 23 minutes)
  • Lovers Valley (14 km. 20 min)
  • John the Baptist Church (17 km. 20 min)
  • Zelve open air museum (22 km. 25 minutes) Museum card valid with entrance fee
  • Ortahisar Castle (14 km. 20 minutes) entrance fee
  • Göre Ruins Open Air Museum (5 km. 10 minutes)
  • Three Beauties (17 km. 20 min) at the entrance of Urgup
  • Asmalı Konak (20 km. 20 minutes) Ürgüp
  • Dark Church (16 km. 21 min)
  • Ürgüp Kadı Castle (20 km. 25 minutes)
  • Isaac’s Church (16 km. 24 min)
  • Urgup Museum (20 km. 25 min)
  • Red Çukur valley (17 km. 22 minutes)
  • El Nazar Church (13 km. 20 min)
  • Pancarlık Church (19 km. 27 min)
  • Guray Museum (16 km. 18 min)
  • Cavusin Village Old Rock Mosque (16 km. 21 min)
  • Crusader Church (16 km. 20 min)
  • Devrent Valley (21 km. 26 min)

Let me list some of the most beautiful and important ones now.

  • Gulludere Valley;   You can visit this valley on foot.
  • Gomeda valley, The sunset from here is also very beautiful.
  • Zelve Valley: You can see rock-carved houses where people lived until 60 years ago.
  • Soganli Vedi;  The valley, where many churches from the Roman and Byzantine periods are located, was used as a valley of faith.
  • Pigeon Valley; We can say that it is the longest valley in the region. Due to the fact that there are many pigeon nests, it took its name as Güvercinlik Valley.
  • Love Valley; a valley full of interesting and high examples of fairy chimneys.

Avanos and its Potters;

We have managed to keep the culture of 5 thousand years from the Hittites alive until today in these lands. These products, born from the current needs of mankind,  turn into a visual art in Cappadocia .

Avanos, Famous for its Pottery

Avanos swinging bridge

Nevşehir Carpet Weaving;

Carpet weaving, the traditional and local art of the Turks , has been kept alive in Cappadocia for centuries. Many products such as carpets, rugs, pillows, cushions and saddlebags are still woven by hand in the carpet weaving looms found in homes. Used threads are still dyed with natural root dyes such as walnut shells, quince leaves, turmeric roots and grape seeds.

Goreme and Open Air Museum

Göreme Open Air Museum , 13 km from Nevşehir , has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1985  . In this region, where the most beautiful valley and fairy chimneys of the Cappadocia region are located, MS. Between the 4th and 13th centuries, there was an intense monastic life that lasted for 1000 years. There are many churches and monasteries from this period. Nevşehir and Cappadocia , which are full of historical places and museums, are for places to visit. Your Museum Card be with you.

Cappadocia Balloons;

Watching this extraordinary nature from the sky like a bird is another pleasure. It is a privilege to watch the rise of the colorful balloons with the sunrise every morning.

They called Nevşehir Cappadocia the land of beautiful horses . Horse breeding, which is in their culture, is used today to visit the fairways filled with fairy chimneys.

Cappadocia Accommodation;

Sleeping here means waking up with history. Sleeping in these rooms, which are actually caves in thousands of years of history, is something you cannot experience anywhere else in the world. The region has a wide range of accommodation opportunities in terms of tourism. It has reached a bed capacity of 20 thousand with hotels and hostels suitable for every budget.

Nevşehir Local Dishes:

You can find the best examples of traditional Turkish cuisine in Nevşehir;

Nevşehir, which has a flavor culture with its vegetable and especially meat dishes , is also known for its desserts.

Let’s write down a few local flavors from the Rich Cuisine now;

Nevşehir Testi Kebab is the most famous one.

Tarhana, Dü Cut, Milk, Potato Soups, Ağpakla, Onion, Dıvıl, Cacik, Stuffed Quince, Nevşehir Pan Dish, Zerdi Rice, Sızgıt Kömbe, Winter Bread, Pastrami, Sausage, Bulama, Semolina Dessert Dalaz Aside Hosaf.

When its history and unique nature are accompanied by its culture, I tried to write the highlights among the  places to visit in Nevşehir and Cappadocia .