Cappadocia - Lonely Planet

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Cappadocia
Why Go?
Göreme . . . . . . . . . . . 452
Uçhisar . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Avanos . . . . . . . . . . . . .467
Ortahisar . . . . . . . . . . . 471
Ürgüp . . . . . . . . . . . . . .472
Mustafapaşa . . . . . . . .478
Soğanlı . . . . . . . . . . . . 480
Niğde . . . . . . . . . . . . . 482
Ihlara Valley (Ihlara
Vadisi) . . . . . . . . . . . . 484
Güzelyurt. . . . . . . . . . 486
Aksaray . . . . . . . . . . . 488
Kayseri. . . . . . . . . . . . 489
When Erciyes Daği erupted manyy millenniaa ago, no one
could’ve guessed the aftermath would look so dandy. This
‘land of wild horses’ is eerie, beautiful and geologically
unique. Where lava once ran valleys now undulate to the
horizon’s dusty hilt. The human history here is equally remarkable, most notably that of the Byzantines, whose underground world features frescoes and intimate, cavernous
rock-cut churches. Travellers descend on the prehistoric
moonscape from hot-air balloons and low-cost carriers, as
the poster child of Anatolian tourism continues to define
its unselfconscious style. Göreme is the village-turned‘buzz town’, where outdoor enthusiasts are rivalled by the
cultured set enjoying fine local wine and deluxe cave suites.
Meanwhile, Ürgüp and Uçhisar provide a more upscale,
down-tempo prehistoric escape; former Greek settlements
offer peace and quiet; and, outside, colourful valleys twist
and turn, shot through with wildflowers, snow or giant
phallic boulders. Cappadocia is an ultimate trip.
Best Places to Stay
» Esbelli Evi (p 473)
When to Go
» Serinn House (p 473)
Kayseri
» Kelebek Hotel & Cave
Pension (p 456)
40/104
5/125
» Koza Cave Hotel (p 457 )
30/86
4/100
» Gamırasu Hotel (p 478)
20/68
» Flintstones Cave Hotel
(p 459)
Best Places to Eat
» Ziggy’s (p 476)
» Seten Restaurant (p 461)
» Aravan Evi Restaurant
(p 478)
» Elai (p 465)
°C/°F Temp
Rainfall Inches/mm
3/75
10/50
2/50
0/32
1/25
-10/14
0
-20/-4
J
F
M
June Brilliant
roses shock the
stark desert
moonscape in
Rose Valley and
beyond.
A
M
J
J
A
July to September Listen to
classical music
concerts in natural outdoor rock
venues.
S
O
N
D
November to
March Disperse
the snow bunnies
atop Erciyes Daği,
a rugged Turkski
spot.
To Ankara
(200km)
450
0
0
20 miles
40 km
Topraklî
Kî
z
îlîr
Hacîbektaš
ma
CAPPADOCIA
k
Himmetdede
er
îlîrm
Özkonak
Gülšehir
Yakatarla
Open
Palace
Kalebalta
Kozluca
Alay
Hanî
Tepesidelik
Hanî
To Sultan Han (35km);
Sivas (190km)
Avanos
Ayvalî
Özlüce
Yešilöz Bašdere
Taškînpaša
Šahinefendi
Kaymaklî
Kayseri
Kizilören
Gölü
Çöl
Erciyes Daÿî
(3916m)
Dörtyol
Kara Daÿî
Gölü
Yay
Develi
Güzelöz
Derinkuyu
Gölü
Soÿanlî
Yešilhisar Eÿri
Akköy
Baraji
iz
nd
ele
M
Gaziemir
yu
Su
Selime
Güzelyurt
Belisîrma
Sivrihisar
lhlara
Ilîsu
Valley Ihlara
Karkîn
Çiftlik
Helvadere
ak
Kîz
Zelve
Sarîhan
Çavušin
Aksalur
Göreme
Uçhisar
Ürgüp
Nevšehir
Încesu
Göreme Ortahisar
Open-Air
Mustafapaša
Museum
Acîgöl
Aÿzîkara
Hanî
r
ve
Ri
Riv
Göllü Daÿî
(2143m)
Sultan Marshes
Bird Paradise
(Sultan Sazlîÿî
Kuš Cenneti)
Edikli
Gölcük
Sekkin
Boÿazî
Ovaçiftliÿi
Hasan Daÿî
(3268m)
Yahyalî
Ala Daÿlar
National Park
Altînhisar
Niÿde
Eski Gümüšler
Monastery
Kapuzbašî
Waterfalls
Mt Demirkazîk
(3756m)
Gümüšler
Bor
Çamardî
Demirkazîk
Çukurbaÿ
Kemerhisar
To Adana
(190km)
To Mansurlu
(40km)
Cappadocia Highlights
1 Explore Byzantine tunnels
of underground cities (p481),
such as Kaymaklı
2 Examine fresco-covered
churches in the Göreme
Open-Air Museum (p452)
3 Tackle nature in the
waterfalls and trails of Ala
Dağlar National Park (p481)
4 Gaze at the pigeon
houses riddling cliffs and
fairy chimneys (thin spires of
rock) in Göreme’s labyrinthine
valleys (p457)
5 Gasp at the outcrop
doubling as a castle in Uçhisar
(p463)
6 Drink in the views over
multiple mezes in chic Ürgüp
(p472)
7 Part the vines and peer
into a tumbledown Greek
mansion in Mustafapaşa
(p478)
8 Trek through a secluded
monastic settlement in
Soğanlı (p480)