G\u00f6reme National Park<\/h2>\n
G\u00f6reme National Park is the oldest settlement area of Cappadocia. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985 as “G\u00f6reme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia”, and was officially declared a national park by a cabinet decision in 1986. Located in Central Anatolia, within the volcanic region of Mount Erciyes and Mount Hasan, the area is a natural wonder surrounded by valleys and fairy chimneys. Between the 7th and 13th centuries, Christians escaping persecution adopted this landscape as their refuge and settlement.<\/p>\n
![\"G\u00f6reme](\"https:\/\/mdchotel.com\/blog-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Goreme-Milli-Parki.jpg\")
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Where Is G\u00f6reme National Park? How to Get There<\/h2>\n
When you travel to Cappadocia, G\u00f6reme National Park deserves the very first place on your itinerary. The park lies within the province of Nev\u015fehir \u2014 the heart of the Cappadocia region \u2014 and begins at the town of G\u00f6reme, roughly 10 kilometers from Nev\u015fehir city center.<\/p>\n
By car, you can reach the area in about 20 minutes via the Nev\u015fehir\u2013U\u00e7hisar road. Local minibuses (dolmu\u015f) also run to G\u00f6reme National Park from everywhere in Cappadocia.<\/p>\n
How G\u00f6reme National Park Was Formed<\/h2>\n
G\u00f6reme National Park sits in the volcanic region of Mount Hasan and Mount Erciyes, a landscape of high hills, plateaus, plains, streams and steep eroded valleys.<\/p>\n
The formation of the area goes back about 60 million years. When the region’s volcanoes were active, the lava they ejected created the floor of the G\u00f6reme Valley. Over time, floods, winds and rains slowly sculpted the terrain, and the extraordinary landscape of G\u00f6reme National Park emerged.<\/p>\n
![\"Rock](\"https:\/\/mdchotel.com\/blog-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/goreme-milli-park.jpg\")
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History of G\u00f6reme National Park<\/h2>\n
Settlement in the Cappadocia region generally began in the 4th century. Until around the 13th century, the first Christians who settled here carved the fairy chimneys into shelters, along with churches, chapels and monasteries as places of worship. Monastic life began here in the early 4th century and spread rapidly.<\/p>\n
Thanks to its distance from main roads and its rugged terrain, G\u00f6reme was an ideal location for those seeking religious seclusion \u2014 or simply a place to hide.<\/p>\n
G\u00f6reme Open Air Museum<\/a><\/h2>\nThe museum, also known as the G\u00f6reme Ruins, was regarded as a center of learning until the 13th century. This tradition began when Saint Basil, Bishop of Caesarea, came to the region in the 4th century AD, taught his followers here and started monastic life in the valley. G\u00f6reme is a rock settlement containing churches, chapels, refectories and living quarters. The sections you can visit in the G\u00f6reme Open Air Museum include the Chapel of Saint Basil, the Chapel of Saint Barbara, the Monastery of Monks and Nuns, the Dark Church, the Tokal\u0131 Church, the \u00c7ar\u0131kl\u0131 Church, the Elmal\u0131 Church and the Snake Church. For a detailed guide, see our post on the G\u00f6reme Open Air Museum<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Rock-cut](\"https:\/\/mdchotel.com\/blog-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/goreme.jpg\")
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Chapel of Saint Basil<\/h3>\n
Among the many chapels around G\u00f6reme, the Chapel of Saint Basil is one of the finest. Located at the entrance of the museum, it dates from the 11th century. Inside you will find a portrait of Christ, depictions of the Virgin Mary and the childhood of Jesus, as well as images of Saint George, Saint Demetrius and Saint Theodore.<\/p>\n
Chapel of Saint Barbara<\/h3>\n
The chapel sits behind the rock block that also houses the Elmal\u0131 Church. Its motifs are painted in red; the dome and walls are decorated with rich geometric patterns, along with military symbols and mythological animals. You can also see Saint George and Saint Theodore fighting a dragon on horseback, and a depiction of Saint Barbara.<\/p>\n
Monastery of Nuns and Monks<\/a><\/h3>\nCommonly known as the Nunnery, the monastery has a kitchen, a refectory and rooms on its first floor, and a chapel on the second \u2014 partly collapsed, yet still well worth seeing. The three floors are connected by tunnels, with rolling stone doors that could seal the passages in times of danger. In the Monks’ Monastery to the right, erosion has unfortunately closed the passages between floors, so only a few rooms on the ground floor can be visited.<\/p>\n
Dark Church<\/a><\/h3>\nThe Dark Church takes its name from the tiny window in its narthex, which lets in very little light. This darkness preserved the frescoes inside, keeping their colors vivid to this day. Built at the end of the 11th or the beginning of the 12th century, the church is richly decorated with scenes including the Deesis, the Annunciation, the Journey to Bethlehem, the Nativity, the Adoration of the Magi, the Baptism, the Raising of Lazarus, the Transfiguration, the Entry into Jerusalem, the Last Supper, the Betrayal, the Crucifixion, the Descent into Hell, the Women at the Empty Tomb, the Blessing and Commissioning of the Apostles, the Ascension, the Hospitality of Abraham and the Three Hebrew Youths in the Furnace.<\/p>\n
Tokal\u0131 Church<\/h3>\n
Believed to have been built at the end of the 10th and beginning of the 11th century, the Tokal\u0131 Church is the oldest rock church in the area and consists of four spaces: the single-nave Old Church, the New Church, the church beneath the Old Church, and the side chapel north of the New Church. On its walls you can see scenes from the life of Saint Basil, portraits of many saints, and the miracles and life cycle of Christ.<\/p>\n
\u00c7ar\u0131kl\u0131 Church<\/h3>\n
One of the most striking features of this church is its depiction of the Crucifixion and the Descent from the Cross. Its similarities to the Elmal\u0131 Church and the Dark Church are notable. The name “\u00c7ar\u0131kl\u0131” (“with sandals”) comes \u2014 according to legend \u2014 from the footprints beneath the scene of the Ascension.<\/p>\n
Elmal\u0131 Church<\/h3>\n
The church is entered through a tunnel opening from the north. It is estimated to have been built in the mid-11th or early 12th century. The crosses and motifs painted in red on its walls are a distinctive detail.<\/p>\n
Snake Church<\/h3>\n
On the wall of this 9th-century church, you will notice paintings of four sinners attacked by snakes \u2014 which gave the church its name. The inscription of the first woman is ruined, so her sin is unknown; the second is bitten on the breast for not nursing her child, the third on the mouth for lying, and the fourth on the ears for disobedience.<\/p>\n
Other Places to See Around G\u00f6reme<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n
Chapel of Saint Basil<\/h3>\n
Among the many chapels around G\u00f6reme, the Chapel of Saint Basil is one of the finest. Located at the entrance of the museum, it dates from the 11th century. Inside you will find a portrait of Christ, depictions of the Virgin Mary and the childhood of Jesus, as well as images of Saint George, Saint Demetrius and Saint Theodore.<\/p>\n
Chapel of Saint Barbara<\/h3>\n
The chapel sits behind the rock block that also houses the Elmal\u0131 Church. Its motifs are painted in red; the dome and walls are decorated with rich geometric patterns, along with military symbols and mythological animals. You can also see Saint George and Saint Theodore fighting a dragon on horseback, and a depiction of Saint Barbara.<\/p>\n
Monastery of Nuns and Monks<\/a><\/h3>\nCommonly known as the Nunnery, the monastery has a kitchen, a refectory and rooms on its first floor, and a chapel on the second \u2014 partly collapsed, yet still well worth seeing. The three floors are connected by tunnels, with rolling stone doors that could seal the passages in times of danger. In the Monks’ Monastery to the right, erosion has unfortunately closed the passages between floors, so only a few rooms on the ground floor can be visited.<\/p>\n
Dark Church<\/a><\/h3>\nThe Dark Church takes its name from the tiny window in its narthex, which lets in very little light. This darkness preserved the frescoes inside, keeping their colors vivid to this day. Built at the end of the 11th or the beginning of the 12th century, the church is richly decorated with scenes including the Deesis, the Annunciation, the Journey to Bethlehem, the Nativity, the Adoration of the Magi, the Baptism, the Raising of Lazarus, the Transfiguration, the Entry into Jerusalem, the Last Supper, the Betrayal, the Crucifixion, the Descent into Hell, the Women at the Empty Tomb, the Blessing and Commissioning of the Apostles, the Ascension, the Hospitality of Abraham and the Three Hebrew Youths in the Furnace.<\/p>\n
Tokal\u0131 Church<\/h3>\n
Believed to have been built at the end of the 10th and beginning of the 11th century, the Tokal\u0131 Church is the oldest rock church in the area and consists of four spaces: the single-nave Old Church, the New Church, the church beneath the Old Church, and the side chapel north of the New Church. On its walls you can see scenes from the life of Saint Basil, portraits of many saints, and the miracles and life cycle of Christ.<\/p>\n
\u00c7ar\u0131kl\u0131 Church<\/h3>\n
One of the most striking features of this church is its depiction of the Crucifixion and the Descent from the Cross. Its similarities to the Elmal\u0131 Church and the Dark Church are notable. The name “\u00c7ar\u0131kl\u0131” (“with sandals”) comes \u2014 according to legend \u2014 from the footprints beneath the scene of the Ascension.<\/p>\n
Elmal\u0131 Church<\/h3>\n
The church is entered through a tunnel opening from the north. It is estimated to have been built in the mid-11th or early 12th century. The crosses and motifs painted in red on its walls are a distinctive detail.<\/p>\n
Snake Church<\/h3>\n
On the wall of this 9th-century church, you will notice paintings of four sinners attacked by snakes \u2014 which gave the church its name. The inscription of the first woman is ruined, so her sin is unknown; the second is bitten on the breast for not nursing her child, the third on the mouth for lying, and the fourth on the ears for disobedience.<\/p>\n
Other Places to See Around G\u00f6reme<\/h2>\n
The Dark Church takes its name from the tiny window in its narthex, which lets in very little light. This darkness preserved the frescoes inside, keeping their colors vivid to this day. Built at the end of the 11th or the beginning of the 12th century, the church is richly decorated with scenes including the Deesis, the Annunciation, the Journey to Bethlehem, the Nativity, the Adoration of the Magi, the Baptism, the Raising of Lazarus, the Transfiguration, the Entry into Jerusalem, the Last Supper, the Betrayal, the Crucifixion, the Descent into Hell, the Women at the Empty Tomb, the Blessing and Commissioning of the Apostles, the Ascension, the Hospitality of Abraham and the Three Hebrew Youths in the Furnace.<\/p>\n
Tokal\u0131 Church<\/h3>\n
Believed to have been built at the end of the 10th and beginning of the 11th century, the Tokal\u0131 Church is the oldest rock church in the area and consists of four spaces: the single-nave Old Church, the New Church, the church beneath the Old Church, and the side chapel north of the New Church. On its walls you can see scenes from the life of Saint Basil, portraits of many saints, and the miracles and life cycle of Christ.<\/p>\n
\u00c7ar\u0131kl\u0131 Church<\/h3>\n
One of the most striking features of this church is its depiction of the Crucifixion and the Descent from the Cross. Its similarities to the Elmal\u0131 Church and the Dark Church are notable. The name “\u00c7ar\u0131kl\u0131” (“with sandals”) comes \u2014 according to legend \u2014 from the footprints beneath the scene of the Ascension.<\/p>\n
Elmal\u0131 Church<\/h3>\n
The church is entered through a tunnel opening from the north. It is estimated to have been built in the mid-11th or early 12th century. The crosses and motifs painted in red on its walls are a distinctive detail.<\/p>\n
Snake Church<\/h3>\n
On the wall of this 9th-century church, you will notice paintings of four sinners attacked by snakes \u2014 which gave the church its name. The inscription of the first woman is ruined, so her sin is unknown; the second is bitten on the breast for not nursing her child, the third on the mouth for lying, and the fourth on the ears for disobedience.<\/p>\n