4 Days History of Cappadocia from 8500 BC to the Present

In this tour package, you will embark on a historical journey. We will pick you up from your hotel in Cappadocia in the morning and set off towards Asikli Mound, which dates back to 8500 BC. After approximately 1.5 hours of travel, we will arrive at Asikli Mound, where the first brain surgery in the world was performed, dating back to the Neolithic age. Here, we will delve deeper into human history with the information provided by our guide. Then, we will set off towards Selime Cathedral. Selime Cathedral is the biggest rock-carved monastery in the region and was once home to Hittite, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman civilizations. Afterwards, we will have lunch on the Melendiz River in Ihlara Canyon for a local meal. After lunch, take an easy 4km walk (approx. 1 hour) along the river through the deep Ihlara Valley canyon, scattered with cave churches carved by early Christian monks.After the tour, we will visit Nar Lake, a rising lake, and then return to the hotel where we stayed in Cappadocia.

We will pick you up from your hotel in Cappadocia in the morning at 09:30 and head to Kaymaklı Underground City. The ancient name was Enegup. Caves have first been built in the soft volcanic rock by the Phrygians, an Indo-European people, in the 8th–7th centuries BC. The city was greatly expanded and deepened in the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) era, when it was used for protection from Muslim Arab raids during the four centuries of Arab–Byzantine wars. After our tour here, we will visit the rock-carved potato storages that are famous in our region.After that we will head to Soganli Valley. This valley rivals the other well-known valleys on its historical importance, scale, and natural beauty. Its unique geology rock formations are not found elsewhere. Filled with churches, tombs, and pigeon houses, this valley should be on your list of must-see. Eat a sumptuous lunch here under the blossoms, apricot, and walnut tree, surrounded by towering cliffs. The frescoes of these churches reveal the beliefs and hopes of the Christian community that lived in the region. After lunch, we will walk with our guests who wish to, in the Avla Canyon, famous for its natural beauty. Then, we will finish the day with a nice Turkish coffee at a panoramic point with a view of Ortahisar Castle and return to our hotel.

We will start the day with a visit to a village house in the historical Uçhisar Castle, which is carved into a fairy chimney and is at the highest point of Cappadocia. Here you will see a classical Turkish house and enjoy the unique view of the Uçhisar Castle. Then we will go to the Göreme Panorama area to watch the Güvercinlik Valley and Göreme city center from above. After our visit here, we will go to the pottery workshop, where we can see the famous potter's wheel, which is made with red clay extracted from the Kızılırmak region, which has a very old history in Cappadocia. Here we will learn about pottery from experts and try to touch the mud and make a special piece for ourselves. Then, after a local meal in the town of Avanos, we will take a walk of approximately 3 km in the Kızılçukur Valley. At the end of the walk, we will reach the village of Çavuşin, an old Greek village. After listening to the information our guide will give here, we will end our tour and return to our hotel.

Meeting with the guide at 09:00 at the hotel and explore Goreme Open Air Museum; consists of many rock-cut churches from the second half of 9C with beautiful colorful frescoes decorating the walls. Next; Devrent Valley; famous for its quirky animal shaped rocks. It looks like a sculpture zoo made by nature.Next; Pasabagi which means: the Pacha's vineyard. This site is also called Monks Valley.The hermitage of Simeon monks was here. A chapel dedicated to St. Simeon (Simon),and a hermit's shelter is built into one of the fairy chimneys with three heads. Pasabag valley contains some of the most striking fairy chimneys in Cappadocia with twin and even triple rock caps. This style is unique even for Cappadocia and these fairy chimneys are named mushroom-shaped fairy chimneys. Next Uchisar Castle the Naturel highest Rock Castle provides a magnificent panorama of the surrounding area. At the end of the tour drive you back to your hotel.