Holiday Turkey Tourism

Where to Visit

Zelve

About 5 km from Avanos and 1 km from Pasabaglari, Zelve was founded on the steep northern slopes of Aktepe. Consisting of three separate valleys, the ruins of Zelve is the area with the most ‘fairy chimneys’ - a famous sight special to Cappadocia - which here have sharp points and thick trunks. It is not known exactly when people began living in the dwellings carved into the rock, found in places like Uchisar, Goreme, Cavusin and Zelve. What is known is that Zelve was an important Christian community and religious centre in the 9th and 13th centuries, where, the first religious seminars for priests were held in the vicinity.

Çavuşin (Nicephorus Phocas) Church

It is beside the Göreme-Avanos road 2.5 km out of Göreme. The narthex of this church has fallen down. It has tunnel vaults, a high nave and 3 apses. It dates back to 964-965 AD.

Güllüdere (St. Agathangelus) Church

It is located in the far left draw of the Güllüdere valley about 2 km from the village of Çavuşin. It was founded at the mouth of the draw on top of a steep slope.

The design of the nave is square with a flat ceiling and it has a single broad apse. The apse was added in the 9th or 10th century to the main structure dating back to the 6th - 7th century. There are 2 or 3 layers of frescoes in the apse which indicates that it was painted regularly. Symbols of Gospel authors are drawn symmetrically and are sitting on the right and left of an enthroned Jesus.

In the middle of the flat ceiling is the relief of a cross in the middle of a circle surrounded with palm leaves and garlands. This sort of relief most likely belongs to the Iconoclastic period. The people of the area had a great love for the cross and it continued to be used as a motif after the Iconoclastic era because it symbolized the “Holy Cross” in Jerusalem.

Özkonak Underground City

Located 14 km northeast of Avanos, this underground city was built on the northern slopes of Mt. Idis in an area with lots of strata made up of volcanic granite. The extensive galleries of the city are spread out over a large area and connected to each another by tunnels. The underground cities in Kaymakli and Derinkuyu, are very narrow (5 cm) and there are long holes between the different levels of the city that used to provide communication between the different levels of the city. The ventilation of these neatly carved out rooms was provided by these holes when the city was sealed up against enemies.

The city was discovered in 1972 by the local muezzin and farmer Latif Acar, when he was trying to find out where the water disappeared, which was tending to his crops. First of all, he found an underground room which, , was revealed a whole city housed with an incredible 60,000 people for up to three months, after excaveted. A total of 10 floors were discovered, to a depth 40m, although now only four are open.

It is unlikely that the other underground cities in this area, besides the rolling stone doors, there were holes above the tunnels used for dumping hot oil on the enemy. Similar to Kaymakli and Derinkuyu, Ozkonak has a ventilation system, a water well, a winery and rolling stone doors.

Opening hours: Summer 08.00 - 19.00; winter 08.00 - 17.00

Don’t Leave Without

-Seeing the views from Zelve,

-Visiting Çavuşin and Güllüdere Churches,

-Exploring the Özkonak underground ancient city,

-Watching the steps of pottery making,

-Buying regional handicrafts.

Don’t Leave Without

Visiting churches within Göreme Open Air Museum,

Seeing Kılıçlar Valley,

Buying hand made souvenirs.

Göreme

Göreme, which hides among fairy chimneys, is the heart of Cappadocia. First period settlement within the region reaches to Roman period from Christianity. Ortahane, Durmus Kadir, Yusuf Koc and Bezirhane churches in Göreme, houses and shafts engraved from rocks till to Uzundere, Bağıldere and Zemi Valley carries the mystical side of history today.

Where to Visit

Göreme, in which there are lots of fairy chimneys and churches, is declared as an open air museum. Tokalı Church, Priestesses and Priests Monastery, Saint Basil Chapel, Elmalı Church, Saint Barbara Chapel, Yılanlı (Saint Onuphrius) Church, Karanlık Church, Çarıklı Church, El Nazar Church, Saklı Church, Mother Mary (Kılıçlar Kuşluk) Church, Saint Eustathios Church and Durmuş Kadir Churches within its territories are valuable to visit places.

Valleys, composed of tuff rocks between Göreme Valley and Aktepe, are known as Büyük and Küçük Kılıçlar. There is Kılıçlar Church within the valley, which has an impressive appearance with tunnels, fairy chimneys in which water ways are passing by and interesting shaped rocks.

Göreme Open Air Museum

Göreme is a wide open air museum, which is under protection with Fairy Chimneys and lots of very interesting churches. The region was one of the most important centers of Christianity.

Göreme National Park

Ancient Cities

Çagirkan Castle Tumulus: It is on Kirşehir - Kaman road, in Çağırkan borough, 9 km. away from Kaman province. It is settled from 3000 B. C. till Islamic Period.

Center Kalehöyük: Kalehöyük, which is at the city center, had been settled since B. C. periods till today.

Hashöyük: During the excavations, performed at Hashöyük, which is 35 km. away from city center, Hittite Period belonging ruins are found.

Mucur Underground City: The underground city at Mucur province center, is founded in 3rd and 4th centuries A. D. There are 42 chambers, dungeons, stables, temples, secret roads and gates and ventilation shafts within this city, which is 7 - 8 m. deep from ground.

Dulkadirli Inli Murat Underground City: It is in Dulkadirli Inli Murat village, which is 58 km. away from city center. It is thought that this city is built in 4th and 5th centuries A. D. It is composed of three main spaces and 10 chambers, which are opening to these spaces.
Mosque, Mausoleum and Churches

Cacabey (Theology School) Mosque: The theology school, is the city center, which was constructed in 1271 - 1272, and currently used as a mosque. It is served as an astronomy institute during Seljukian Period. Its minaret, which is separate from the structure, is also used as watching tower.
Derefakili Churches: These structures, which are some of the first churches of Christianity, are at the Derefakili village of Akçakent province.

Ahi Evran Mosque and Mausoleum: The mosque and mausoleum, is constructed in the name of Ahi Evran, who was the founder of the Ahilik Organization, in 1482. The structure is in the city center. You can climb to the mausoleum by a ladder inside the mosque.

Lala (Lale) Mosque: It is in the city center, and just beside to the Melik Gazi Vault. Architectural style of the mosque is remembering you that it is constructed as a caravansary and a mint.

Melik Gazi Vault: It is thought that the vault, which is at south east of city center, is constructed during the 13th century.
Other impressive vaults are Kalender Baba Vault and Fatma Hatun Vault.

Aşikpaşa Mausoleum, Cacabey Mausoleum, Süleyman Türkmani Mausoleum, Muhterem Hatun Mausoleum, Yunus Emre Mausoleum are the valuable pieces of arts to see within the region.

Religion Tourism

KIRŞEHİR

Cacabey (Medresesi) Mosque (Center): The theology school , which is at the city center, was constructed in 1271-1272 and currently used as a mosque.
It served as a astronomy institute during Seljuk period.It is minaret, which is seperate from the structure , was also used as an watch tower.

Ahi Evran Mosque and Mausoleum (Center): The mosque and mauso1eum , which was constructed in the name of Ahi Ervan, who was the founder of Ahilik Organization, in 1482, is at the city center.

One can climb the mausoleum by a ladder inside the mosque.

Lala Mosque (Lale Mosque-Center): It is at the city center and adjacent to Melik Gazi Vault.The architectural style of the mosque resemble to that of caravanserai and a mint.

Melik Gazi Vault (Center): In the southeast of the city center, the vault is thought to have been built in 13th century.

Derefakılı Churches (Akçakent): Among the first Christian churches to have been built, these churches are located at Derefakılı Village,Akçakent district.

Regional Socio-Economic Life In The Pre-Seljuk And Ottoman Era

CULTUREL DETAILS OF NEVŞEHİR

Regional Socio-Economic Life In The Pre-Seljuk And Ottoman Era

The Persians preserved the local autonomy, collected taxes in a fairly just fashion and defended it with the military units they conscripted.It soon became apparent that the victory of Alexander’s victory remained superfi cial. The Diadokhos dynasty took the place of the dynasty that had existed prior to the Persian invasion (the generals who set up autonomous rule and partitioned the empire following the death of Alexander).The shortage of easily worked fertile lands and, especially, the sparse population prevented the selection of agricultural cultivation as the chief source of wealth.Hence, a foundation of urban settlements in conjunction with commerce gained importance in Cappadocia, particularly in the Classical period.In these early periods,commerce constituted the final hope of those who had no land. In the final analysis, such an arrangement rested on the more or less autonomous rural communities, organized by tribes, who participated in the system as producer, consumer and the actual defender of the transit roads, but who were never fully integrated.

Commerce unsupported by products from the land led to an economic crisis in Cappadocia as well as the entire state. The depression which lasted until Diocletian ascended the throne in 284 suddenly worsened  after Antonin RLER?? The empire in this period-that is, the concept of the centralization-began to dissolve and break away from the center. The consequent drastic decline in the volume of money which led to the closing of the estates of the great landowners and, at the same time, the diminishment in slave labor power (the exhaustion of slave reproduction, who had been obtained in the wars of expansion; and the financial impossibility of securing new ones) stimulated the drive to organize a new land system. Land was divided between two classes. The nobles (indominicatum), which included a sizeable portion of workable land, together with housing in villas, repre  sented one landholder; the other was the villagers who were called “free” (coloni) and who had farms (manses). One-tenth of the produce of the colon was given to the landlord. In addition, they expended a great proportion of their time and labor on the lord’s land.

İn the following phases, agricultural production relation became even more burdensome with the changes in con ditions. The position of the colon  peasant was unchanging and hereditary and compulsory.His being bound to the land was both a right and a compulsion; if he were to flee, his legal rights would be identical to those of a slave and when caught would be severely punished.

Earlier, the people had tended to flee the land, because the conditions under which they lived were harsh and they tried to escape from them.The villagers were leaving the lands; the craftsmen were deserting their occupa- tions; the Decurion (the local Roman administrator) was avoiding his duties on the municipal council.The officials could find only one solution for this disaster. To clamp down on everyone and close the routes of escape.The emperors in order to keep the cadres of the civilization from collapsing and disappearing was to sentence the populace to the equivalent of a life sentence of hard labor.Difficult though it was, in the end, a stability was obtained.

In the Byzantine era, starting from the reign of Phocos till that of Basil II, a policy of expansion was pursued, which reached a climax in the reign of Basil II. A series of wars were conducted that in the short run brought victory but which, in the long run, led to destruction. And feudalism was at its height. Though the great feudal lords had much damage inflicted on them by the restrictive legislation of the emperors in the tenth century, in they end, they came out on top.  In the period following the death of the Great Basileos, the great estates rapidly expanded; by contrast, the small property owners who were of military and peasant origins began to collapse.  The peasants, who were bound to the land were being crushed by taxes, duties and forced labor, turned to the agesold response of fleeing the land, even without knowing where to turn. Regardless of how restrictive the forms of bondage to the land were made the numbers of those fleeing from the countryside was equally increasing.  Small property owners were selling their lands to the elite. In fact, an entire village population even might leave all ,their property behind and face a situation which was heartbreaking. Later this the state would take control of this property and land for the benefit of a few monasteries.  Villagers in a position where they could no longer pay their taxes-small property owners or renters-often had no other option than to flee. This was the first thing that came to mind, and though it was easy, it proved but a temporary solution. We believe that only a few of them settled in towns; otherwise, they turned to banditry.

Cappadocia represented a world sought by the Christian clergy, one which was difficult to attain; it satisfied their desires and expectations for the next world. The special nature of this place presented to the Christian masses a land that was lost to the world. The special position of Cappadocia began to represent the utopia that was sought in this world.  It was the last natural world that could be reached on the journey of belief which led directly to god-a fragment of another planet. G. de Jerphanion stated that “If a silhouette of a city on the Moon could be glimpsed, there is no question but that it would look like Ürgüp.” The next stage was to believe it that it conformed to the appearance of the next world. That is why they devoted themselves to withdraw from the world in this special land. In particular, monks journeying from other places believed that they had come to the end of the way and, after having carved out a shelf in a fairy chimney for themselves, they spent the remainder of their life in this silent and imaginary dream-like nature and retreat.  In this other world, they expended their efforts to create a human community and establish human relations in the way god would have wished and facilitate religious ties between human beings and god.

This dreamlike geography of Cappadocia was one of the most important factors in the creation of a mystic thought: Though at first glance, it bears a harsh appearance and seems hostile to humankind and a place difficult to live-in the face of danger, the need to find refuge, save property and life and withdraw from the face of the earth-it offers the possibility of easy seclusion underground. Thus, we see that people embraced the region with a curious passion. We might now turn to the very critical role played by Cappadocia in the spreading of Christianity in Anatolia.

Sporting Activities

Mountain - Nature Tracking: Hasandağı Mountain is capable for mountaineering and winter sports. Presently Mount Hasandağ be in demanded by home and foreign mountain climber. At the mountain with the establishment of Klimatizm, that forest interior resting place, nomadism, mountain bike sports, mounted tour excursion and nature tracking are possible.

Fishery with Fishing Line: Mirrored carp and fresh water bass species are breed at Mamasun, Hirfanlı and Kültepe dam lakes. Moreover again crap, bass, trout and yayın fish breed at the out numbered present ponds. There are lots of coral fishes at Uluırmak river which river spring from Melendiz Mountains and flows to Tuz Gölü (Salt Lake). fresh water kerevites that breed at Mamasun Dam Lake are exported to foreign countries.

History

Aksaray province is placed in the Capadocia region, inhabiting of human starts from the 8th thousand BC. Aşıklı Tumulus is one of the first village settlement place in Anatolia remains from Aceramic Neolithic Age. According to historical process Aksaray province was breed place for various civilisations. Acemhöyük placed near the city centre was one of the most important trade centres in the period of Asur Trade Colonies between the BC. 3000 - 2000 years. Afterwards on the province Hittite, Rome, Byzantine, Selcuklu and Ottoman Periods are experienced.

Christianity began to spread towards Anatolia with disciple Saint Paul and his students at first century AC. This process took a huge against reaction from polytheism Rome Empire, so than first Christians are settled this region.

What to Buy

Taşpınar’s rugs are famous in the province.