Urgup Things to Do

The Zelve Open-Air Museum, which once housed one of the largest communities in the region is an amazing cave town, honeycombed with dwellings, religious and secular chambers. Zelve is situated about 10 km out from Goreme on the Avanos road. Here, the Christians and Muslims lived together in perfect harmony, until 1924. Then Christians had to leave the Valley because of the exchange of minorities between Greece and Turkey, and the Muslims were forced to evacuate the Valley in the 50's when life became dangerous due to risk of erosion. They left the site to set up a modern village, a little further on, to which they gave the name Yeni Zelve

Devrent Valley, which is also known as Imaginary Valley and also as Pink Valley does not have cave churches like the other valleys of Cappadocia. There are no Roman castles or Roman tombs in Devrent Valley, either. Actually it was never inhabited. So what makes it so famous? The lunar landscape!

It's great to walk on and in the rocks.

Soaring way above the incredible landscape of Cappadocia and skimming just above the ground in its canyons, piloted by Kaili of KapadokyaBalloons. Amazing!

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Fairy chimneys are a common sight in Cappadocia. They are phallic-shaped rock formations made up of a hard cap and a softer core. In some villages like Goraeme and Urgup, these fairy chimneys are carved into houses inhabited by monks in the 4th century AD.

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Deverent Valley, also called Valley of the Fairy Chimneys, is located 2 km from Urgup. Although Cappadocia abounds with fairy chimneys, they are most well formed and most thickly clustered in this valley.

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While walking along the city centre you will find the Museum (close to the Tourist Office, Kaysery Cad, 37. 8.00-17.30, I didn't visit unfortunately).

You may watch my high resolution photo of Urgup on the Google Earth according to the following coordinates 38° 37' 47.54" N 34° 54' 44.31" E or on my Google Earth Panoramio Urgup Musiciant Statue,
or on my Google Earth Panoramio Urgup's Hill,
or on my Google Earth Panoramio Urgup's Mosque .

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In Urgup you can still see how people once lived in homes cut into the rocks.
There are, however, many attractive old houses on the slopes at the edge of the town, but their residents have moved to the less attractive modern accommodation.
Nowadays the houses are built from the local rock which is made into large buildings blocks. These homes are both attractive and practical.

You may watch my high resolution photo of Urgup on the Google Earth according to the following coordinates 38° 37' 52.03" N 34° 54' 38.75" E or on my Google Earth Panoramio Homes in rocks.

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At the Hill of Wishes you will find a park where you can relax and admire the view and a medrese (Islamic college) which is now a cafe.
The two tombs on the Temenni Hill are believed to belong to Seljuk Sultan Ruknettin Kilicarslan IV, built by Vecihi Pasha in 1268 and is known as “Kilicarsalan Tomb” by the locals.

You may watch my high resolution photo of Urgup on the Google Earth according to the following coordinates 38° 37' 50.92" N 34° 54' 36.78" E or on my Google Earth Panoramio Kilicarsalan Tomb.