Start your day visiting the Fairy Chimneys in Ürgüp. Meet the most famous family of fairy chimneys: mother, father and daughter! These are the official symbol of both Ürgüp and Cappadocia.
Proceed down south to the Keshlik Monastery. This monastery complex, situated in a paradise-like green valley, contains the Church of the Archangel, the Chapel of Saint Stephen, a huge dining area, living quarters and a pool of sacred water. With its beautiful frescoes which are hidden behind a thin layer of smoke, its refectory, kitchen, hiding chambers, baptistery, winery, escape tunnels it is a special place to visit.
Carry on with Sobessos a newly discovered archaeological site, with excavations still underway. This once was a wealthy Roman-Byzantine city. No side as big as this ancient side has ever been found in this region before. The remains of a church, tombs, a bath and Roman mosaics have already been uncovered. You may see the archaeologists in action and feel part of this exciting dig!
Continue to Sahinefendi which is an authentic Central Anatolian village at the foot of a table mountain where you can see villagers carrying out their daily chores around their homes and in their fields. The Church of the Forty Martyrs, situated in a rock pinnacle, is interesting to visit, and this once again links this region to its Byzantine past.
Next stop will be Soganli Valley. Once again, people have built homes in the rock cones. Today, the visitor can enter 10 different churches with reasonably well preserved wall paintings dating from the 10th to the 13th centuries. The locally made doll is the emblem of the village. Lunch will be served in this local village as well.
Proceed to Tashkinpasha. The Medrese building and the nearby mosque and tombs are some of the best examples of Seljuk architecture in this district. The village houses follow the traditional plan with stables on the ground floor to keep the upper rooms warm.
On your return way you will have another stop at Mustafapasha. This town remained predominantly Christian throughout the Seljuk and early Ottoman periods, although the Muslim population increased from then on. Some splendid old stone Greek houses rich in decoratively carved symbols are not to be missed. It’s still possible to walk into some buildings which have the original paintings on the walls, and the town is home to the remains of the largest concentration of modern churches in the region. |
Transfer with A/C Vehicle
