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Southeast of Ankara
Founded in ancient times Kirsehir became, in the Middle
Ages, the center of the Ahi Brotherhood, a Moslem sect whose
moral and social ideals played an important role in the
spiritual and political life of Anatolian towns. Among
Kirsehir's many fine Seljuk buildings are the Cacabey Mosque
of 1272 (a former astrological observatory), the Alaeddin
Mosque of 1230, and the Ahi Evran Mosque beside which is the
tomb of the founder of the Ahi sect. Out of town, on the road
toward Kayseri, is the attractive Asik Pasa Mausoleum which
was built during the period of Mongol rule, in 1333.
 The road to Nevsehir and
Cappadocia passes through Hacibektas, the town where Haci
Bektas Veli settled and established his Bektas Sufi order in
the 14th century. The dervishes who followed the sect's tenets
of love and humanism were housed in the monastery which
includes a mausoleum and mosque. The complex is now a museum
open to the public. Onyx, plentiful in the region, was used by
the disciples of this order and has come to be called
Hacibektas stone. In town there are many onyx souvenirs for
sale. It is worth stopping to wander through the interesting
Archaeological and Ethnographical Museum.
 Nevsehir, a provincial capital,
is the gateway to Cappadocia. In the town itself the hilltop
Seljuk castle, perched on the highest point in the city, and
the Kursunlu Mosque, built for the Grand Vizier Damat Ibrahim
Pasha, are among the remaining historical buildings. The
mosque forms part of a complex of buildings which includes a
medrese, a hospice and a library. An ablution fountain in the
courtyard still bears its original inscription. The Nevsehir
Museum displays local artifacts.
 Violent eruptions of the
volcanoes Mt. Erciyes (3916 meters) and Mt. Hasan (3268
meters) three million years ago covered the plateau
surrounding Nevsehir with tufa, a soft stone comprised of
lava, ash and mud. The wind and rain have eroded this brittle
rock and created a spectacular surrealist landscape of rock
cones, capped pinnacles and fretted ravines, in colours that
range from warm reds and golds to cool greens and greys.
Göreme, known in Roman times as Cappadocia, is one of those
rare regions in the world where the works of man blend
unobtrusively into the natural surroundings. Dwellings have
been hewn from the rock as far back as 4,000 B.C. During
Byzantine times chapels and monasteries were hollowed out of
the rock, their ochre-toned frescoes reflecting the hues of
the surrounding landscape. Even today troglodyte dwellings in
rock cones and village houses of volcanic tufa merge
harmoniously into the landscape.
Ürgüp, a lively tourist center at the foot of a rock
riddled with old dwellings, serves as an excellent base from
which to tour the sights of Cappadocia. In Ürgüp itself you
can still see how people once lived in homes cut into the
rocks. If you wish to buy carpets and kilims, there is a wide
selection available from the town's many carpet dealers. These
characters are as colorful as their carpets, offering tea,
coffee or a glass of wine to their customers and engaging in
friendly conversation. If 'sightseeing and shopping haven't
exhausted you, the disco welcomes you to another kind of
entertainment. At the center of a successful wine producing
region, Ürgüp hosts an annual International Wine Festival in
October. Leaving Ürgüp and heading to the south, you reach the
lovely isolated Pancarlik Valley where you can stop to see the
12th century church with its splendid frescoes, and the Kepez
church which dates from the tenth century. Continuing on to
the typical village of Mustafapasa (Sinasos), the traditional
stone houses with carved and decorated facades evoke another
age. Still travelling in a southerly direction, just past the
village of Cemil, a footpath on the west side of the road
leads to Keslik Valley where you will find a monastery complex
and the Kara Kilise and Meyvali churches, both of which are
decorated with frescoes. Back on the main road you come to the
village of Taskinpasa where the 14th century Karamanid Mosque
and Mausoleum Complex, and the remains of a medrese portal on
the edge of town, make for a pleasant diversion. The next
village is Sahinefendi where the 12th century Kirksehitler
church, with beautiful frescoes, stands at the end of a
footpath 500 meters east of the village.
Soganli, 50 km south of Ürgüp, is a picturesque valley of
innumerable chapels, churches, halls, houses and tombs. The
frescoes, from the 8th to the 13th century, trace the
development of Byzantine painting.
Four kilometres north of Ürgüp is the wonderful Devrent
Valley where the weather has eroded the stone into peaks,
cones and obelisks called fairy chimneys.
Two kilometres to the west, in the Çatalkaya Valley, the
fairy chimneys have a peculiar mushroom-like shape, which has
been adopted as a symbol of the town.
The Göreme Open-Air Museum, a monastic complex of rock
churches and chapels covered with frescoes, is one of the best
known sites in central Turkey. Most of the chapels date from
the 10th to the 13th century, the Byzantine and Seljuk
periods, and many of them are built on an inscribed cross plan
with a central cupola supported by four columns. In the
narthexes of several churches are rock cut tombs. Among the
most famous of the Göreme churches are the Elmali Kilise, the
smallest and newest of the group; the Yilanli Kilise with
fascinating frescoes of the damned in serpent coils; the
Barbara Kilisesi; and the Çarikli Kilise. A short way from the
main group; the Tokali Kilise, or Buckle Church, has beautiful
frescoes depicting scenes from the New Testament. The town of
Göreme itself is set right in the middle of a valley of cones
and fairy chimneys. Some of the cafes, restaurants and guest
houses are carved into the rock. For shoppers, rugs and kilims
are plentiful.
Continuing on the road out of Göreme, you enter one of the
most beautiful valleys in the area. Rock formations seemingly
out of a fantasy rise up before you at every turn and entice
you to look longer and wonder at their creation. For those who
climb the steps to the top of the Uçhisar Fortress the whole
region unfolds below. Rugs and kilims, and popular souvenirs
can easily be purchased from the shops which line Uçhisar's
narrow streets.
At Çavusin, on the road leading north out of Göreme, you
will find a triple apse church and the monastery of St. John
the Baptist. In the town are chapels and churches, and some of
the rock houses are still inhabited. From Çavusin to Zelve
fairy chimneys line the road. Unfortunately, it is dangerous
to visit the churches in the valley because erosion has
undermined solid footing.
The charming town of Avanos, on the banks of the Kizilirmak
River, displays attractive vernacular architecture and is
known for its handicrafts. Every August the town hosts an Art
and Tourism Festival where a creative and friendly atmosphere
pervades. Pottery is the most popular handicraft and it is
usually possible to try your hand at making a pot in one of
the many studios. Rug weaving and knotting is also making a
revival. Leaving Avanos in a southerly direction you come to
an interesting Seljuk caravanserai. On the Nevsehir - Ürgüp
road you can't miss Ortahisar and its rock carved fortress.
The churches in the Balkan Valley are some of the oldest in
the Göreme region. In the neighbouring Hallaç Valley, the
Hallaç Monastery displays decorations from the 10th and the
11th centuries. North of Ortahisar, the Kizilçukur Valley is
breathtakingly beautiful especially at sunset. In the valley
is the 9th century Üzümlü church.
The underground cities of Kaymakli, Mazi, Derinkuyu and
Özkonak were all used by the Christians of the seventh century
as places of retreat in order to escape persecution. They fled
from the iconoclastic strife of Byzantium as well as other
invasions in these safe and well hidden metropolises. A
complete environment, these cities included rooms for grain
storage, stables, sleeping chambers, kitchens and air shafts.
Today they are well lit and an essential and fascinating part
of a Cappadocian tour.
West of Avanos, Gülsehir has Hittite rock inscriptions, and
nearby, at Gökçetepe, there is a bas-relief of Zeus. South on
the Nevsehir road brings you to the 13th century church of St.
John, and farther along is Açiksaray where the carved rocks
hold churches and chapels.
West of Cappadocia, over the mountains, lies Kayseri, known
as Caesarea in Roman times. The city spreads out at the foot
of Mt. Erciyes (3916 meters), an extinct volcano. In the
winter months the ski center has excellent runs for downhill
skiers. Close to the Byzantine fortress the 13th century Huant
Mosque and Medrese and the Mahperi Hatun Mausoleum comprise
the first Seljuk complex in Anatolia. South of the complex
stand the beautifully decorated Döner Kümbet of 1276, the
Archaeological Museum and the Kösk Medrese, a Mongol building
of classic simplicity. A major Seljuk city, Kayseri was an
important center of learning and consequently there are many
medreses among the remaining historical buildings. Those
interested in this particular architectural form should see
the Çifte Medrese, the first medieval school of anatomy and
the lovely Sahabiye Medrese. Near the city's bedestan is the
restored 12th century Ulu Mosque. The Haci Kiliç Mosque, north
of the Çifte Medrese, dates from 1249. Rugs woven in finely
knotted floral patterns continue a centuries old tradition.
Local production can be purchased in any of the town's carpet
shops. South of Kayseri, in Develi, stand three more important
Seljuk buildings: the Ulu Mosque, the Seyid-i Serif Tomb and
the Develi Tomb. Nearby, the Sultan Marshes, the habitat of
many species of bird, are of interest both to ornithologists
and nature lovers. North of Kayseri, Kültepe, known in ancient
times as Kanesh or Karum was one of the earliest Hittite
commercial trade cities. Today, however, only the foundations
remain. Many of the finds can be examined in the Kültepe
Museum as well as in the Kayseri Archaeological Museum.
On the same road is Sultan Han, a caravanserai built by the
Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubat in the early 13th century and
a favourite stop for tourists.
Nigde, the Nahita of Hittite times, lies in a valley
flanked by volcanic peaks and commands the ancient trade route
from Anatolia to the Mediterranean. Nigde's castle owes its
present form to the Seljuks, and the elegant Alaeddin Mosque
dates from the same period. From the 14th century era of
Mongol rule are the Sungur Bey Mosque and the Hüdavend Hatun
Mausoleum. an excellent example of the Anatolian tomb tower.
The 15th century Ak Medrese now houses the Archaeological
Museum.
Ten kilometres out of town is Eskigümüs, a Byzantine
monastery and church with massive columns and frescoes. These
frescoes, which date from the 10th and the 11th centuries, are
among the best preserved in the region.
Bor, south of Nigde, was once a Hittite settlement. The
town's historical buildings include the Seljuk Alaeddin Mosque
and the Ottoman bedestan. Farther on, in the same direction,
Kemerhisar is the site of the important Roman city of Tyana. A
few more kilometres brings you to some Hittite ruins and a
Roman aqueduct. Most of the historical buildings in Aksaray,
west of Nigde and south of Cappadocia, such as the Ulu Mosque,
date from the 14th century. The Kizil Minaret is noted for its
attractive decorative brickwork. Two of the most famous
caravanserais from the Seljuk period remain in the environs.
Just 40 km west of the city is the well preserved Sultanhan
Caravanserai built by the Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubat, and
15 km towards Nevsehir is the Agizkarahan Caravanserai. The
Melendiz River, at Ihlara, has eroded the banks into an
impressive canyon. Byzantine rock chapels covered with
frescoes pierce the canyon walls. Some of the best known are
the Agaçalti (Daniel) Church, the Yilanli (Apocalypse) Church
and the Sümbüllü (Hyacinth) Church.
Güzelyurt is another valley with dwellings dating from
prehistoric times. You can see the beautiful silhouette of Mt.
Hasan rising like a crown above the town. The valley's
underground cities, buildings carved into the rock,
interesting vernacular architecture, churches, chapels and
mosques embody all of the characteristics of Cappadocia and
give visitors a sense of historical continuity. A popular
tourist destination, Güzelyurt's hospitable residents,
extensive accommodation and restaurants ensure a pleasant
stay.
Central Anatolia
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