• Ihlara Valley

Considered one of the top attractions in Cappadocia, the valley is near the town of Güzelyurt, 78 km southwest of Goreme in the southern part of Cappadocia.
This 16 km long steep, isolated and picturesque gorge run between Ihlara and Selime with the Melendiz Stream running along its bottom.

In the valley, 11th to 13th centuries array of more than ~50 Byzantine churches, chapels and monasteries, carved into the Red Clay cliffs on both sides of the gorge. Some of the churches are very impressive and beautifully decorated with New Testament frescoes, some are in ruins and some closed to visits.
Most of the beautiful churches are within 1 km from the official entrance to the gorge at the visitor center, 2 km north of Ihlara village and off the road connecting the villages of Ihlara and Belisırma.

The popular churches to visit in Ihlara Valley are Ağaçaltı Church (south of the entrance), Sümbüllü monastery Church, Pürenliseki Church (near the entrance), Kokar Church (on the way to Ihlara), Yilanli Church (near the entrance), Karagedik Church, Kirk damatli  Church (Church of St George, in the north closer to Belisirma), Direkli Church, Ala Church, Kemerli Church, Egritas Church, and Karanlık Kale church, a large monastery complex with minimal decorations.

Other entrance points to the valley are at the village of Ihlara (behind the Star Hotel), at the village of  Belisırma, 4 km north of Ihlara village, and at the village of Selime, at the northern side of the valley,16 km north of Ihlara village.

Visiting the valley and churches will take from 3 hours (around the entrance) to one day hike of the gorge all the way to the village of Selime.

If you have time, visit the town of Güzelyurt east of Ihlara, built on a cliff with rock caves, houses, and churches.
North of Ihlara, visit the village of Selime, a charming and unspoiled village, where many of its residence lives in rock houses and monastic cells. The village is surrounded by great landscape of Fairy Chimneys and other beautiful rock formations.

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The paths inside Selime Cathedral (Selime Monastery) cave formations in Cappadocia, Turkey. Selime is a town at the end of Ihlara Valley. The Monastery is one of the largest religious buildings

Wooden stairs down into the Ihlara valley in Cappadocia, Turkey

Inside Guzelyurt Underground City, an ancient multi-level cave city in Ihlara Valley, Cappadocia, Turkey