Turkiye

Göreme NP and Cappadocia

WHS Score 4.28
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Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia consist of an eroded landscape dotted with cave dwellings and rock-hewn sanctuaries.

The extraordinary landscape is the combined work of lava-spitting volcanoes, wind and water. The inhabitants of the area hew rooms, chapels, and even whole villages out of the rocks. Religious Byzantine paintings can be found on the walls of churches and monasteries.

Community Perspective: This is a huge, photogenic site and one can spend easily multiple days here. Clyde has written a comprehensive review of what he managed to see over the course of 5-6 days.

Site Info

Official Information
Full Name
Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia (ID: 357)
Country
Turkiye
Status
Inscribed 1985 Site history
History of Göreme NP and Cappadocia
1985: Inscribed
Inscribed
WHS Type
Mixed
Criteria
  • i
  • iii
  • v
  • vii
Links
UNESCO
whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
Related Resources
News Article
  • Oct. 9, 2018 dailysabah.com — Turkish and Italian experts restore Cappadocia's 1,000-year-old Tokalı Church
  • March 17, 2018 hurriyetdailynews.com — Underground city in Nevşehir to partially open to tourism in July
  • Nov. 27, 2015 hurriyetdailynews.com — Ancient underground city in Cappadocia will 'rewrite history'

Community Information

  • Community Category
  • Natural landscape: Eroded
  • Archaeological site: Byzantine
Travel Information
No travel information
Recent Connections
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Connections of Göreme NP and Cappadocia
Trivia
History
  • Byzantine Empire and Civilization
    irreplaceable testimony to the post-iconoclastic Byzantine art period.... retain the fossilized image of a province of the Byzantine Empire between the 4th century and the arrival of the Seljuk Turks (1071) (OUV)
Ecology
Architecture
World Heritage Process
Constructions
WHS on Other Lists
Timeline
  • Pliocene
    This layer of tuff was in turn overlain by a series of andesitic and basaltic lavas, between the late Pliocene and early Pleistocene. (EOearth)
  • Built in the 4th century
    first cave dwellings from the time of Basil of Caesarea (330-379)
WHS Names
Literature & Film
News
dailysabah.com 10/09/2018
Turkish and Italian experts restor…
hurriyetdailynews.com 03/17/2018
Underground city in Nevşehir to pa…
hurriyetdailynews.com 11/27/2015
Ancient underground city in Cappad…
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Community Reviews

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First published: 21/09/21.

Clyde

Göreme NP and Cappadocia

Göreme NP and Cappadocia (Inscribed)

Göreme NP and Cappadocia by Clyde

I visited all 7 locations of this top WHS over a period of 5-6 days. I used this WHS as a central stepping stone twice in my figure of eight loop around Turkey during my Spring 2021 road trip, first coming from Bogazkale and later coming from Divrigi.

Not only is the main location of this WHS, Goreme National Park, a huge area to cover, but when including the remaining 6 locations, the inscribed areas are quite far from each other and quite a stretch to cover all of them by car without careful planning and a GPS. The subterranean cities of Kaymakli and Derinkuyu are more than an hour ride away from Nevsehir. Both are quite similar, and I would suggest going for the latter if you had to choose as it not only is the biggest of the two but it has several features which make it easier to envisage it as an underground city proper, such as a bakery, storage area, sleeping areas, communal areas and passages with round movable stone slabs through which as many as 20,000 people, mostly Christians, fled and stayed together with their livestock and food stores. It is the largest excavated underground city in Cappadocia and extends to a depth of 85 metres so keep this in mind if you're claustrophobic as entrance and exit are separate areas and it will take at least 30 minutes to find your way back outside (also keep in mind that it is cool and …

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First published: 19/03/17.

Jay T

Göreme NP and Cappadocia

Göreme NP and Cappadocia (Inscribed)

Göreme NP and Cappadocia by Jay T

Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia are a geologic wonderland, steeped in the history of the early Christian church. I visited Göreme National Park and the Derinkuyu underground city in the fall of 2007 as part of a two day tour of Cappadocia, in central Turkey. The town of Göreme, with its many cave hotels built into rock formations, is an excellent introduction to the region. All around the town are photogenic hoodoos, also called fairy chimneys. In the days of the early church, Christians found the soft rock of these wind-carved formations could be easily chipped away to create homes and churches. Today, some of their art can still be found inside the rock sanctuaries, though the faces of many of the saints have been scratched away. When the Arab-Byzantine wars began in the 8th century, the early Christian church in Cappadocia prepared to go underground, creating subterranean complexes such as the city of Derinkuyu, which was outfitted with stables, storage rooms, living spaces, and chapels. This was quite an amazing site to see. I hope that despite how long it has been since the last review, Göreme is still getting many visitors; it truly is a memorable landscape.

Logistics: Göreme and its national park may be reached by bus from most major cities in Turkey; the nearby city of Kayseri, east of Göreme, may also be reached by plane or train. Although there is much to see within walking distance of Göreme, private transportation makes …

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First published: 26/03/06.

Glenn Austerfield

Göreme NP and Cappadocia

Göreme NP and Cappadocia (Inscribed)

Göreme NP and Cappadocia by Glenn Austerfield

visited in 2000 Went via bus from Egirdir.

The area is unique, with so much to see; the underground cities, the carved churches, the natural rock formations. One of the highlights of our trip to Turkey

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First published: 25/02/06.

Anonymous

Göreme NP and Cappadocia

Göreme NP and Cappadocia (Inscribed)

Göreme NP and Cappadocia by Carlo Sarion

Cappadocia is about a five hour bus ride from the capital city of Ankara, where I currently live. Having been there a few times, I have to say that it is unique in the world, let alone in Turkey. The churches are great, but there is much more in the region than that. Underground cities, rustic village life, and a fantastic geological history make this place a must see. My personal favorite is just walking around Zelve. Enjoy!

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First published: 01/05/05.

Anonymous

Göreme NP and Cappadocia

Göreme NP and Cappadocia (Inscribed)

Göreme NP and Cappadocia by Carlo Sarion

the cave churches in Goreme are fantastic. i visited in July 04. it's not too hot in this part of Turkey in summer. the Turks are the kindest people i've met in the world and you will feel safe and welcome wherever you travel. the WHS takes about 1/2 to do justice to. try to drive there. walking from town is a trek. it only costs about $5 to see it all. while the site has sidewalks near the rock churches, you need to climb up lots of stairs and crawl into places to really see it fully. Goreme town itself is an amazing site itself. try to stay in one of the "fairy chinney" hotels in town-- like nothing else. Also, spring for a balloon ride to see the whole valley of wonders.

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First published: 01/05/05.

Ben Pastore

Göreme NP and Cappadocia

Göreme NP and Cappadocia (Inscribed)

Göreme NP and Cappadocia by Ben Pastore

Words can't really describe this moonscape of both natural and man-made sculptures of rock. Troglodyte dwellings of generations past are fun to wander through and their architectural style can best be described as early Dr. Suess. A balloon ride, though expensive is beyond worth the price as the surreal landscape will take the breath away from even the most jaded traveler. My own recommendation is to stay in a cave hotel for a unique and fun way to spend the night.

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