Cappadocia - Top Tourist Attractions
Captivating Cappadocia: Top Tourist Attractions to Not Miss on Your Trip
Stepping foot on Cappadocia feels like you’re on another planet. Its beauty is otherworldly with stone structures, mountains and plains that you think only exist in sci-fi movies, and its history is as fascinating as its natural wonders.
So, if you’re looking for an experience like no other, Cappadocia is the perfect place to be and on your trip, don’t miss these top tourist attractions in Cappadocia that make this beautiful place the stuff of daydreams:
Goreme Open-Air Museum
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Goreme Open-Air Museum is a must-visit when you’re in Cappadocia. This vast monastic complex has been home to 20 monks during the Byzantine Empire before it became a pilgrimage site from the 17th century.
This open-air museum is composed of chapels, monasteries and churches, all cut out from the stone formations in the area. The Aziz Basil Sapeli is dedicated to one of Cappadocia’s most important saints St. Basil while the Aziz Barbara Sapeli is dedicated to the Byzantine soldiers’ patron saint.
Goreme
The village of Goreme is easily one of the most photogenic in the world and also one of Cappadocia’s top attractions. Its stone houses are carved right from the hills making them distinctly unique. You’ll also find the beautiful El Nazar Kilise or Evil Eye Church and Sakli Kilise or Hidden Church in the village.
Goreme is also a starting point for hikers who want to take the trail that leads to beautiful rocky formations, fairy chimneys and cave churches that offer panoramic views of the area.
Soganli
One look at Soganli and you’ll instantly feel that you’re in a Star Wars movie. The twin valley is the perfect spot for a hike where you will be taken to some top attractions including the ancient ruins of Sobesos, the Keslik Monastery from the Byzantine era and the three popular churches called Karabas Kilise, Sakli Kilise and Yilanli Kilise.
Derinkuyu Underground City
Underground cities abound in Cappadocia, but if you should visit one, it has to be the Derinkuyu Underground City, the deepest underground shelter in Cappadocia. This underground city became the hiding place for Christians where you will see several tunnels that go deep into the ground, living and storage areas, and even chapels used by its inhabitants before.
Derinkuyu also features one of the most fascinating ventilation shaft systems that you will see in these underground cities, so if you’re not claustrophobic, make sure to check this location on a day trip.
Topdeck Cave Restaurant
Of course, no trip to Cappadocia will be complete without sampling the famous Anatolian food. And if there’s one place that offers you an authentic dining experience, it would have to be the Topdeck Cave restaurant owned by Chef Mustafa and his family. Dining at the restaurant will feel like you’re in a family home, and it’s because you are.
Chef Mustafa converted a cave room in their house into a restaurant where you get to sample authentic Anatolian food served by the chef’s kids.
To cap off your trip to Cappadocia, make sure to ride the early morning hot air balloon that will give you a bird’s eye view of Cappadocia’s majestic beauty. At least 100 hot air balloons fly to the skies every morning just after sunrise offering for a magical flurry of colors to Cappadocia’s skies.