Zelve Travel Guide

  Dervent Valley
by Kuznetsov_Sergey
 
  • Dervent Valley
      Dervent Valley
    by Kuznetsov_Sergey
  • me in the Zelve Open Air Museum
      me in the Zelve Open Air Museum
    by acemj
  • mushroom capped fairy chimneys
      mushroom capped fairy chimneys
    by acemj
  • nice metal containers for sale in Zelve
      nice metal containers for sale in Zelve
    by acemj
  • Pasabagi
      Pasabagi
    by Kuznetsov_Sergey
 

Explore Zelve

Things to Do  

Marvel Yourself

Marvel Yourself, Zelve

 solopes Says:  The natural formations of Cappadocia are one of the most surprising and odd accidents of nature. Zelve is just one of the few small towns where you can admire the ingenious use by men of the natural opportunities. 

Pasabagi: Mushrooms or smth else?

Pasabagi: Mushrooms or smth else?, Zelve

 Kuznetsov_Sergey Says:  The fanciful figures resemble stone fields of giant mushrooms to children. Something like giant morels or fly-agarics, do you agree? They are inescapably phallic to adults. You don't agree? It’s up to you to decide, haha! I think it depends of mood and weather. The Turks... 

Pasabagi Holy Trinity fair chimneys

Pasabagi Holy Trinity fair chimneys, Zelve

 Kuznetsov_Sergey Says:  The Pasabagi valley is famous for its three-headed fairy chimneys. It’s possible to see all the stages in the formation of fairy chimneys at this spot. Christian hermits chose to locate hermit cells and churches in these three-headed pinnacles symbolic of the Holy Trinity.... 

Devrent - Madonna fairy chimney

Devrent - Madonna fairy chimney, Zelve

 Kuznetsov_Sergey Says:  Devrent Valley hides many different rock formations. There is even a rock pillar which looks like Virgin Mary, holding Jesus Christ.You may watch my high resolution photo of Devrent Valley on the Google Earth according to the following coordinates 38° 40' 23.30" N 34° 53'... 

Devrent - Camel fairy chimney

Devrent - Camel fairy chimney, Zelve

 Kuznetsov_Sergey Says:  The valley also has many animal shaped rocks. It looks like a sculpture zoo made by nature. Some of the most easily seen animal shapes are camel, snake, seals, and dolphin. If you run your imagination you will find many others. You may watch my high resolution photo of... 

Devrent or Pink Valley

Devrent or Pink Valley, Zelve

 Kuznetsov_Sergey Says:  Devrent Valley is also known as Pink Valley because of the color of the rocks there.Actually the valley was never inhabited. So what makes it so attractive? Of cause the famous lunar landscape! The small fairy chimneys in the valley form a lunar landscape, or moonscape, by... 

Devrent or Imaginary Valley

Devrent or Imaginary Valley, Zelve

 Kuznetsov_Sergey Says:  Devrent Valley is also known as Imaginary Valley. And you will see what you are ready and want to see… It depends on many reasons such like your mood at the moment. I suggest you two video clips with different music – what you like best Tchaikovsky with Barcarola or Turkish... 

Devrent Valley

Devrent Valley, Zelve

 Kuznetsov_Sergey Says:  This valley is called "Devrent" in vernacular for the most surreal-looking landscape in Cappadocia. Thousands of years of wind, rain and extreme temperature changes created the beautifully colored rocks into strange and wonderful animal and human shapes. It is very... 

Pasabagi or Monk's Valley

Pasabagi or Monk's Valley, Zelve

 Kuznetsov_Sergey Says:  In Seljuk and Ottoman times it was called "Papaz'in Bagi" or "The Monk’s Vineyard". Several formations resemble dervishes in their high brown hats.You may watch my high resolution photo of Pasabagi on the Google Earth according to the following coordinates 38° 40' 37.08" N... 

Pasabagi or the Pasha’s Vineyard

Pasabagi or the Pasha’s Vineyard, Zelve

 Kuznetsov_Sergey Says:  Another name of Pasabagi is the Pasha’s Vineyard. It received this name after the Byzantine Greek population left the region.You may watch my high resolution photo of Pasabagi on the Google Earth according to the following coordinates 38° 40' 37.32" N 34° 51' 24.43" E or on... 

Pasabagi

Pasabagi, Zelve

 Kuznetsov_Sergey Says:  Zelve is famous for its fairy chimneys which are formed when the lava covering the tuff is eroded, leaving pinnacle formations. These pinnacles are capped with harder rocks resting at the top. This is in Pasabagi which is located at a distance 1 km from Zelve.You can see my... 

Transportation  

How to get to Zelve

How to get to Zelve, Zelve

 Kuznetsov_Sergey Says:  Zelve is situated about 10 km out from Goreme on the Avanos road. Zelve is located 5 km from Avanos and 1 km from Pasabaglari. Unfortunately, there's no regular public transport to the Zelve Valley, so you must have your own vehicle, hitch a ride with others, take a taxi, or... 

Shopping  

Local arts and crafts: Some nicer than usual stuff here

Local arts and crafts: Some nicer than usual stuff here, Zelve

 acemj Says:  Outside the Zelve Open Air Museum near the parking lots are a couple cafes and shops selling the usual tourist-oriented stuff. Inside, near some of the remains of the churches and other cave structures, I noticed some merchants selling some items that looked a bit more... 

Local Customs  

Ride by Turkish Camel

Ride by Turkish Camel, Zelve

 Kuznetsov_Sergey Says:  You can try a ride by camel here. There were two camels - an old and a young. I don’t know if the price for a ride was high or low but being lack of time as usual I didn’t even think to take this opportunity, haha! May be you will have more time and enjoy this ride along the... 

Warnings Or Dangers  

Be careful

Be careful, Zelve

 acemj Says:  .... 

Tourist Traps  

Where is Pasabagi on VT?

Where is Pasabagi on VT?, Zelve

 Kuznetsov_Sergey Says:  Unfortunately there isn’t a separate VT destination on Pasabagi in Cappadocia (or in Nevsehir Ili). But there is another Pasabagi there. I’ve found it when visited the following page Pasabagi Travel Guide and Sharrie’s Pasabagi Fairy Chimneys. But this destination is wrong... 

Off The Beaten Path  

Devrent Valley

Devrent Valley, Zelve

 acemj Says:  The nearby Devrent Valley is another great place to explore the valleys of Cappadocia. It's located just few kilometers east of Zelve back on the main road that connects Urgup and Avanos. We stopped here at a point in the road with sweeping panoramic views of the surrounding... 

Favorites  

Fairy chimney – what is it?

Fairy chimney – what is it?, Zelve

 Kuznetsov_Sergey Says:  A fairy chimney is a conical rock formation, typically found in the Cappadocia region of Turkey. It consists of a cap of hard rock resting on a cone-shaped pinnacle of softer rock. The geology of areas where fairy chimneys form typically comprises a thick layer of tuff... 

Zelve Historical Background

Zelve Historical Background, Zelve

 Kuznetsov_Sergey Says:  The Christians and Moslems lived here 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... 

Zelve Valley

Zelve Valley, Zelve

 Kuznetsov_Sergey Says:  The Zelve Valley is known as the Zelve Open Air Museum. It is among the earliest-settled and last-abandoned monastic valleys in Cappadocia. Zelve is well-known as the area in which the most interesting 'fairy chimneys' are situated. Fairy chimneys here have sharp points and... 

The Place

Plan a Zelve vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Zelve locals

Experience Zelve
  •   23 Tips and Reviews
  •  135 Photos
  •  6 Videos
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The People

 
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Top 4 Zelve Writers

1

Zelve - Fairy Chimneys

Kuznetsov_Sergey profile photo

  The Zelve Valley is known as the Zelve Open Air Museum. It is among the earliest-settled and last-abandoned monastic valleys in Cappadocia. Zelve is well-known as the area in which the most... 

2

Zelve Open Air Museum and the Devrent Valley

acemj profile photo

 Visiting the Zelve Open Air Museum was a memorable part of my travels through Cappadocia. The only downside was that I was part of a tour, so my time was limited, but we spent a good hour and a half... 

3

Zelve

solopes profile photo

 Do you believe that it is easy to remember where you've been, in that astonishing puzzle of natural marvels, here receiving the name of Uchisar, there Zelve or Nevsehir, always with the same... 

4

Zelve from my Eyes...

kedi+ profile photo

 All humans are brothers... Millions! Come together ... said L.V.Beethoven.. What a nice ambient to shout out and sing the songs of humanity... 

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