Tour Guide

          Göreme
          Goreme has, to some extent, become the focus of the Cappadocian tourist industry. It's proximity to the Open Air Museum, Zelve and other bits and pieces of fairy chimney charm, coupled with it's downright cheapness has been drawing people from all over the world for the last 20 years or so.

          Basic accommodation and supplies are here in volume as a result of the rapid response to the areas tourist potential and Goreme is a favourite amongst budget travelers, many of whom stay a while, sometimes finding work in the tourist industry themselves.

          Central location and cheapness apart you may not feel there's much to distinguish Goreme from it's neighbors. It is, perhaps, less organised and a little bit more laid back than Urgup or Avanos and it's probably livelier than either in the season. If you're looking for somewhere to hang out for a while, meet people and maybe blend in a little then Goreme is probably the place for you.

          If you're there for anytime at all, or even just passing through, take the time to have a look at the Galerie Ikman, a finely appointed 19th century Han( In old days where travellers Accomidate).

          Göreme Open Air Museum
          This is the one place that everybody who comes through Cappadocia goes. It's a nicely packaged instant version of what the whole area has to offer and it's a good place to start. For background on the whole scene here check out the history of Cappadocia.

          The open air museum is about 2km from the town of Goreme itself and you can comfortably walk it. Walking in Cappadocia is usually fun anyway. As you approach you'll pass the coachpark on your right, complete with its row of souvenir shops, and on your left the buckle church, one of the finest examples of frescoes in the area. Entrance is included when you buy your ticket at the main gate so you'll probably end up visiting it on the way out of the museum. Try not to forget it.

          It would be silly to give details of all the churches and rooms in the valley here as you could easily spend half a day wondering about and looking at them all. Basically what you'll find is the remains of a monastic community who made their home in this valley. Most people are struck by the frescoes and the quality of these varies from excellent to very tatty. Keep an eye open for the strange symbolic decorations in some of the smaller churches and chapels. Bear in mind when buying your ticket that the Karanli church (recently restored and with the freshest frescoes) is not included in the price and will cost you an extra.

          Over the last 2 years or so an extensive protection programme has been put into place. The churches are very prone to erosion and to prevent this they are slowly being covered with a resilient artificial surface designed to halt their gradual destruction. This looks kind of weird at first glance but it makes sense.

          Uçhisar
          If you're not looking for a party Uchisar makes an excellent base from which to explore the unique Cappadocian landscape. It's a sleepy little town, less dominated by the tourist trade than Goreme or Urgup.

          There are some pleasant mid-range and cheap hotels and pensions here and food is acceptable at several establishments. Uchisar's Kale or fortress is visible for miles around and has become the town's major tourist attraction, offering, as it does, fine views over the surrounding countryside.

          Uchisar is also a good place to begin a walking tour from because it's down hill in every direction and because you can take in Pigeon Valley, named for it's myriad nesting holes carved to encourage said birds.

          Zelve
          A strong contender for favourite place status, the Zelve monastery complex is situated about 10 km out from Goreme on the Avanos road.Lacking the elaborate frescoes of Goreme and other sites there's still plenty here to see. The series of valleys can provide you with a couple of hours walking, climbing and crawling about and in addition to the marked highlights (the Fish and Grape churches) there are innumerable rooms and passages to look at.

          Zelve was inhabited until quite recently but you can almost see the place crumbling before your very eyes. There's probably an element of risk involved in exploring too enthusiastically but a guide should be able to balance the thrill of stumbling through pitch black tunnels by torchlight with an element of safety.

          It's probably a good idea to make the most of the place while there's still something to see. There seems little chance of a restoration scheme along the lines of that in place at Goreme and even if tourists were to stop visiting today natural erosion processes do their damage every winter.

          Ürgüp
          The unfortunately named Urgup is probably the busiest of the small towns in the vicinity of the Cappadocian sites. It's possibly the tattiest as well, recent development has mushroomed leaving a grim legacy of poorly designed and serviced buildings. The road down into the town however does take you past some pleasant rock carved dwellings, accommodation and restaurants. It's worth wondering around the old town for a taste of what the place must have been like before we all arrived.

          This said it does offer services, such as banking, which are a little scarce elsewhere. It has a scattering of hotels and pansiyons of varying degrees of sophistication and a couple of good places to eat.

          The central bus station can feel a little bit like a gladiatorial arena if you arrive looking disorganised and vulnerable to tour operators. It just is that way and there's not much you can do about it. Cappadocia is a training ground for guides and travel operators and Urgup seems to be a bit of a target range.

          Underground Cities
          The underground cities of Cappadocia are worthy of a visit. Let's take Derinkuyu for example. The one time home of up to 20,000 people, it's 18 storeys descend into the Anatolian plateau 50 kms south of Goreme. Stop and think about that for a while. A large, market town sized community digging a settlement out to guarantee themselves a degree of protection.

          There are 8 floors of tunnels open to the visitor and this is enough to give you an idea of the sensation of living in a labyrinth like this. The ventilation shafts, circular and descending from the surface to the lower levels, bring home the scale of the enterprise while the massive circular doors - which were rolled across the passages and sealed from the inside - remind you of the motivation for moving underground in the first place.

          Derinkuyu is by no means the only such city you can visit here. There are actually 40 or so subterranean settlements in the area although only a few are open to the public. Kaymakli, 10 kilometers to the north of Derinkuyu, is smaller and less excavated but 5 levels are accessible and the experience is pretty much the same. Not For The Claustrophobic.

          Ihlara Valley
          The Ihlara valley is very, very nice. Removed a little from the rest of the Cappadocian sites it can be a little tricky to get to but it's worth a full day if you can spare one. The gorge is 16 km long and both sides are lined with rock carved churches, about 100 in all. You can look at the more important of these in a couple of hours but it's very pleasant to spend an afternoon following the river down the valley and exploring on your own.

          The climb down to and especially up from the gorge can be demanding and probably shouldn't be attempted if you're feeling frail. To make the most of your time here a full day and a picnic is a good idea and will repay the effort in terms of a relaxed days pottering about admiring the churches and the valley's beautiful scenery.