Where Is Goreme National Park

Cappadocia means exactly “place of beautiful horses,” as it was known to the Persians as “Kappa Tuchia” before it became Turkish and afterward Cappadocia. This region, which has tremendous beauty, amazes us with its historical texture and natural environment. The nature that you can’t get enough of; valleys, Fairy Chimneys, landscapes, history; With its open-air museums, churches, chapels, and monasteries, you will want to visit more, and you will not get enough of the beauties of Cappadocia. We cannot explain the enormity of the Cappadocia region, but we can say that the most important place to visit here is the Göreme National Park. So Where Is Goreme National Park? What is it like? Let’s look at the answers to these questions together.

Goreme National Park

It is also known as Göreme National Park and therefore is Cappadocia’s oldest settlement. In 1985, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. It was declared a National Park in 1986 by the decision of the Council of Ministers. Approximately, 33 years after this date (Kasım 22, 2019), it was removed from the national park status. It goes without saying that the place, located in the volcanic region of Mount Erciyes and Mount Hasan in Central Anatolia, is a natural wonder surrounded by valleys and Fairy Chimneys. 7.-13. Christians living between the 17th and 16th centuries have adopted this place as settlement areas in order to escape from the oppression imposed on them or, so to speak, to escape.

Location Of Goreme National Park

You should definitely visit Cappadocia, and you should put Göreme National Park at the top of your list of places to see even if you are only exploring the Cappadocia region. Göreme National Park is a place connected to Nevşehir, which we can say is the heart of the Cappadocia region. It also starts from the Göreme region. The place in question is Göreme, which is approximately 10 kilometers away from the center of Nevşehir.

Formation Of Goreme National Park

The volcanic region of Mount Hasan and Mount Erciyes is where Göreme National Park is located. The place in question consists of high hills, plateaus, plains, streams, and valleys with steep slopes with erosion.

The formation of the area dates back to about 60 million years ago. As we mentioned before, there were volcanoes here at the time. When these volcanoes were active, the lava they expelled helped to build the Goreme Valley’s floor. Thanks to the floods, blowing winds, and falling rains that occurred over time, this region gradually started to take shape, and after a while, the Göreme National Park was formed.

History Of Goreme National Park

The region of Cappadocia was first settled in the fourth century. The first Christians who settled in this region until about the 13th century carved the Fairy Chimneys in the region and built churches, chapels, and monasteries as shelters, places of worship. The Christians here also started a monastic life at the beginning of the fourth century, and the monastic life in question began to spread rapidly.

Göreme National Park was an ideal location for those who wanted to retreat to religious seclusion or want to hide due to its distance from the main road and being in a rough area in terms of transportation.

Goreme Open Air Museum

Before the Where is Goreme National Park we should ask what is Goreme National Park. Goreme National Park is also known as Goreme Open Air Museum. Until the 13th century, the museum, also known as Göreme Ruins, was regarded as the center of knowledge. The reason for this is that the Kayseri Psychopo, Saint Basil, came to this region in the 4th century A.D. and started a monastic life in the valley when he began to spread his knowledge to people and to raise his own students after a while. We know Göreme as a rock settlement. In this settlement, churches, chapels, dining halls, and sitting areas were carved. The parts that can be visited in Göreme Open Air Museum are St. Basil Chapel, St. Barbara Chapel, Monks, and Nuns Monastery, Dark Church, Tokalı Church, Çarıklı Church, Elmalı Church, and Yılanlı Church.

• Saint Basil’s Chapel

There are also many chapels related to places to visit in Goreme. St. Basil’s Chapel is one of them.

Located at the entrance to the museum is an 11th-century chapel. Here Hz.
Portrait of Jesus, Hz. Mary and St. the Childhood of Jesus are depicted. We can also see depictions of 2 saints, St. George, St. Demetrius, and St. Theodore.

• Azize Barbara Chapel

It would be accurate to describe the location of the chapel as the back of the rock block where Elmalı Church is located.

The motifs inside are painted with red paint. Its dome and walls are decorated with rich geometric motifs. At the same time, we see military symbols and mythological animals in these drawings. There are also depictions of St. George and St. Theodore, St. Barbara, fighting the dragon on horseback.

• Monastery Of Nuns And Priests

We usually know it as the Convent of the Nuns.
On the first floor of the monastery, there is a kitchen, dining hall, and rooms. There is a chapel on the second floor. Although this chapel is in ruins, it is in a good condition to visit. In the monastery, which consists of three floors, the connection between the floors was provided by tunnels, and bolt stones were used to close these tunnels in a dangerous moment. In the Monastery of Monks on the right, unfortunately, the passages between the floors are closed due to erosion. Therefore, it is possible to see only a few rooms on the ground floor.

• Dark Church (Karanlık Kilise)

Dark Church gets its name because it receives very little light from a very small window in the Narthex part of the church.
The fact that the church was not illuminated ensured that the frescoes inside did not fade and remained alive.

The church, which is estimated to have been built at the end of the 11th century and the beginning of the 12th century, has also rich decorations. Deesis, Gospel, Journey to Bethlehem, Birth, Adoration of the Magi, Baptism, Resurrection of Lazarus, Transfiguration, Entry to Jerusalem, Last Supper, Betrayal, Prophet.
Jesus on the Cross, St. the Descent of Jesus to Hell, Women at the Empty Tomb, Blessing, and Appointment of the Apostles, Hz. There are some scenes from the Torah, such as the Ascension of Jesus, the Hospitality of the Prophet Abraham, and the Burning of Three Jewish Youths.

• Buckle Church : (TOKALI KILISE)

The Buckle Church, which is estimated to have been built at the end of the century and the beginning of the 11th century, is the oldest rock church in this region and consists of 4 places. The single-nave Old Church, the New Church, the church below the Old Church, and the side chapel to the north of the New Church are the 4 places mentioned. Drawings from the life of St. Basil, depictions of many saints, and Hz. It is possible to see the miracles of Jesus and his life cycle in the drawings on the wall.

• Sandal Church : (CARKILI KILISE)

One of the greatest features of the church is St.
The crucifixion and removal of Jesus from the cross. The similarities between the Elmalı Church and the Dark Church are striking detail.
The reason why it is called the Çarıklı Church is –according to the rumor – Hz. It originates from the footprints under the scene of Jesus’ ascension.

• Apple Church : (ELMALI KILISE)

To enter the church, it is necessary to use a tunnel opened from the north. It is estimated that it was built in the middle of the 11th century or the beginning of the 12th century. Another striking detail is that the crosses and motifs on the wall are made with red paint.

• Snake Church : (YILANLI KILISE)

The name given to the church is due to the depiction of four sinners and a naked woman attacked by snakes on the wall.
The epitaph of the first of these women was destroyed, so her crime could not be understood. The second woman’s fault is that she is bitten on the chest by snakes because she does not breastfeed her child. The third woman is bitten on the mouth for lying, and the fourth woman is bitten on the ears for disobedience and disobedience. The church was built in the 9th century.

Other Places To Visit In Cappadocia

Pigeon Valley

According to what is known, pigeon breeding started in this region in the 9th century. Those who live in the region see that pigeon manure is very useful, especially for growing grapes. Thus, there have always been pigeons in the valley since then. There is also a waterfall in the valley, which many people are unaware of, flowing from a height of about 15 meters. Güvercinlik Valley covers an area of approximately 4 kilometers starting from Uçhisar and reaching Göreme.

Rose Valley

Just like in other valleys of Cappadocia, we encounter many monasteries, churches, and shelters in the Rose Valley. Here you can do nature sports such as nature walks, trekking. In a part of the Rose ​Valley track, which is divided into two parts, there are settlement areas where monks and priests were in seclusion. The settlement areas in question were carved into the rocks. There is Direkli Church, Crusader Church (Saint Agathangelus Church), Anna Church, Ayvalı Church, Three Cross Church

Zemi Valley

It is one of the longest tracks in Cappadocia. The Zemi Valley, which is approximately 5600 meters long, takes its name from the Zemi Stream passing through the valley.
While touring the Valley, you come across plum, stop cherry, pear, apricot, cherry, and hazelnut trees. During your tour, there is Sarnıç Church, El Nazar Church, and Karabulut Church. At the same time, Görkündere and the Hidden Church appear before you.

Love Valley

Love Valley was once a town that existed many years ago. This village was home to 10 different dynasties. One day, a fight broke out between the two families living in the village. Due to the violence, the town was split in half, and the people refused to speak to each other. One day, two villagers who complained about the situation decided to take and introduce a young man from both sides who is hostile to each other. The young people also fell in love as soon as they saw each other. The feuding villagers, who understand the situation, do their best to separate the young people, but they cannot succeed.

Finally, they decide to get the young people married. Time passed, the couple had a child. However, even this situation was not enough to reconcile the quarreling families. Finally, they killed the boy. The poor girl could not stand her husband’s death and committed suicide. It is said that after the death of the two lovers, God rained stones to punish the people living in the village. These stones kill anyone who opposes the reunion of the youth. Rumor has it that the spirits of the couple often visited this area and talked to the children.

Accomodation In Cappadocia

During your trip to Cappadocia, you will never have to worry about finding a place to stay. We will be happy to welcome you to MDC Hotel to provide a perfect accommodation experience. If you want to increase your activities in Cappadocia during your stay at the MDC Hotel, you can also participate in the activities organized by the MDC Hotel itself. With the spacious structure of our rooms in the cave hotel concept, the cleanliness of the hotel, the excellent service, and the caring and helpful attitude of our staff, we offer you even more of the features you are looking for in a hotel. To plan your stay, you can reserve the room that best suits your needs right away. They also have Tourism Agency which is HTR Tour  here you can choose your tour easily