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acemj Says: At the opposite end of the valley from Ihlara village is Selime, a troglodyte (cave dwellings) village that was most famously the place that George Lucas chose to film the Sand People scenes in the original Star Wars movie. There are a couple decent places to stay for the...
acemj Says: Belisirma is undoubtedly the best place along the valley to stop for a bite to eat as there are four restaurants right on the river's edge near the bridge leading to the village, which is located about halfway between Ihlara and Selime. There are also some interesting...
acemj Says: As you walk along the valley, remember that there are sights to see on both sides of the river and any map will show you where the churches and other sights are located. You'll see some wider spots in the valley at which you'll be able to appreciate the size of the place and...
acemj Says: Any guidebook (I had both Lonely Planet and Rough Guide) will have information about the churches along the valley floor, but if you have the time, you might as well explore them all as they all seem to have something to offer. Some of them are more well-preserved than...
acemj Says: It's possible to walk the entire length of the Ihlara Valley between the villages of Ihlara and Selime in anywhere from about 6 to 8 hours, but I was with a group that did the more typical short stretch between the entry point at Ihlara Vadisi Turistik Tesisleri and the...
morgr Says: Starting at Ihlara is the valley following the river north as far as a village called Selime, passing through another called Belisirma, where many, as did I, choose to stop.The walk itself is very easy and quite relaxing. Just you, the river and the valley walls on either...
morgr Says: The 'church under the tree' is located about half way between Ihlara and Belisirma. It is at the bottom of a long stairway that is used as an alternate entrance to the valley for people wanting to see a few of the churches but not wanting to walk 1.5hrs from Ihlara or...
belisirma,at the end of the path
cbeaujean Says: many churches there too...but you have to find them by yourself:nearly no arrows at all to help you.
along the path,cliff and troglodyte churches
cbeaujean Says: only a few of them are rather easily accessible...you'll find the easiest churches to reach at the beginning and at the end of the shadowed and cool path along the river.btw,ideal for picnic!
visit painted churches,before it's too late!
cbeaujean Says: one of the well preserved paintings we met!probably,too high for spoiling,painted on a dome.btw,don't forget a torch!
a half day trip:6km between ihlara and belisirma
cbeaujean Says: the whole trip ,without big difficulties,exc.maybe,a lot of stairs,is 12km long.anyway,the most well preserved churches (or less dammaged) stand on the 6 km hike between ihlara (parking and restaurant) and belisirma (restaurant) where you can ask for a taxi to come back to...
Biskinler Pension: Charming pension with a view of Mount Hasan
revontulet Says: Family run business pension. It has 18 rooms. Shower&toilets are inside the room, they're open during the winter and have extra blankets in case of you feel cold. They also serve dinner &lunch if you need. They also serve local wine. The pension has a nice garden full of...
Belisirma Restaurant: Delicious foods...
revontulet Says: The Belisirma Restaurant located in Belisirma Village (in the middle of the Ihlara Valley). There are some platforms over the "Melendiz Stream" so you can taste your delicious foods while you're listening the birds and the stream's sound... very charming and peaceful...
Catlak Restaurant: Nice restaurant by "Melendiz Stream"
revontulet Says: They serve mostly meat & fish. I ate fish and was satisfied. Clean and fast service. They have also some platforms over the stream which looks nice. Fish and beer:))
Aslan Restaurant: Good seafood and atmosphere
acemj Says: The four restaurants clustered next to the bridge at Belisirma all double as campsite operators. Our group at a the Aslan Restaurant and the food and service were both good. I ordered fresh fish from the river and it was excellent. I believe a beer was around 7 YTL, but it...
unknown: terrace on riverside in belisirma
cbeaujean Says: after effort.....and while waiting for taxi to come back to ihlara parking.btw,you'll find restaurant with first class view upon gorge,in ihlara,as well.both of them serve beers.
paintings destroyed or spoiled!
cbeaujean Says: a very few paintings stay well preserved:mainly because they were inside hidden churches,and,moreover,too high on the walls.anyway,most of them are destroyed or spoiled.why?*during byzantine civil war,called "iconoclastic period" (around 9th cent):may we...or not...represent...
Mount Hasan (Hasan Dağı)
acemj Says: At an altitude of 3253 meters, Mount Hasan can easily seen from various points south of Aksary as you approach the Ilhara Valley going toward Nigde to the south. The extinct volcano is the second highest peak in central Anatolia and can be climbed if you're so inclined, but...
TomorrowsAngel Says: We walked the Ilhara Valley. You start up top, and climb down about 300 steps to the valley floor.Then walk along the side of the stream on a path which carries on for about 4km.You constantly climb up and down to look at little churches and monasteries located off the path,...
acemj Says: There are a few good points from which to get great views over the valley, but the best are from Ihlara Village itself, from the stairs leading down to the valley at the main entrance between Ihlara and Belisirma and from the road above Belisirma looking over the village and...
Plan a Ihlara vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Ihlara locals
one of the well preserved paintings we met!probably,too high for spoiling,painted on a dome.btw,don't forget a torch!
Q: Need directions to Ihlara Valley, Ziga Thermal Springs from Istanbul. Trains and busses are fine with us. Am planning visit to...
A: Probably the best place to base yourself would be Goreme. You can get an overnight bus (cheap) from Istanbul to Goreme.... sometimes you have to change onto a smaller...
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The Ihlara Valley is a beautiful gorge that cuts through cliffs that comprise the 8th largest canyon in the world at the southern end of Cappadocia about 45 kilometers southeast of Aksaray. Melendiz...
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splendid ihlara valley:don't wait for visiting it!
a trip in a gorge with luxuriant foliage and some troglodyte painted churches! formerly,more than 100 churches...nowadays,around 15 of them only,can be visited;remainders are only ruins! first...
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Aksaray has been a religious center since the early times of Christianity and the city was located on the "Silk Road". It's also now located on the many road connections... It takes 3 hours from...
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Apart from being the ideal starting place for a walk in the Ihlara valley, I don't imagine their is much to see in Ihlara village itself. There is a mosque and a hammam, the hammam is served with...
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Ihlara Valley is an impressive canyon, 14km long and up to 110m tall, formed over millions of years, helped by the Melendiz River. It starts in Ihlara (Yebilyurt) village, and ends in Selime village....
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