Step Back in Time at the Goreme Open Air Museum
Cappadocia’s most famous attraction is the Open Air Museum. The complex of medieval cave churches, rectories, dwellings and a religious school were carved out of the mountain rock by Orthodox monks between 900 and 1200. Most of the churches have beautiful frescos painted on the walls depicting different biblical scenes; unfortunately nearly all the eyes of the painted figures have been gouged out by superstitious locals afraid of the Evil Eye. The one exception is the Dark Church whose walls were protected by a layer of pigeon poop.
For an additional fee, visitors can see the Dark Church with its brightly coloured frescos depicting Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem, the Nativity, Christ’s baptism, the Raising of Lazarus, the Transfiguration, Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, the Last Supper, the Betrayal of Judas and the Crucifixion. The Buckle Church (Tokali Kilise) is the largest church with the finest and most detailed frescos depicting the life of Christ. It is a definite must see.
Another place of interest is the nunnery, a 6-7 story convent that once housed up to 300 nuns. The dining hall and kitchen as well as some rooms on the first floor and the remains of a chapel on the second floor are open to visitors.
For an additional fee, visitors can see the Dark Church with its brightly coloured frescos depicting Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem, the Nativity, Christ’s baptism, the Raising of Lazarus, the Transfiguration, Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, the Last Supper, the Betrayal of Judas and the Crucifixion. The Buckle Church (Tokali Kilise) is the largest church with the finest and most detailed frescos depicting the life of Christ. It is a definite must see.
Another place of interest is the nunnery, a 6-7 story convent that once housed up to 300 nuns. The dining hall and kitchen as well as some rooms on the first floor and the remains of a chapel on the second floor are open to visitors.
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Wikipedia - Goreme is a town in the Cappadocia region of Turkey. The town is centered in the middle of a internationally popular region that is best known for its natural rock formations, often called "fairy chimneys".
Several bus companies (Nevsehirliler, Metro, Goreme Tourism, Suha and Göreme Cappadocia) have day-time and overnight buses that run directly from Göreme to Istanbul (or directly from Nevshehir, 20 minutes down the road). You can catch a bus from Istanbul by catching a ferry to the Harem ferry port. Make sure you book a couple of days in advance in peak times as buses book out. There are connections to Konya (3½ hours), Denizli (10 hours), Pamukkale (10 hours), Selçuk (12 hours), Kusadasi (12 hours), Marmaris (13 hours), Bodrum (13 hours), Alanya (9 hours), Çıralı (10 hours), Canakkale (17 hours), Kayseri, Trabzon, Van. If you book your ticket directly to Göreme, make sure that the bus (or a smaller van associated with the bus company) will drop you off at the Göreme bus station (otogar) even if the bus ticket says Goreme. It is a common occurrence for a bus company to sell you a ticket that says Göreme but then drop you off somewhere in Nevshehir, sometimes at a tour office, and hope that the folks at the tour office will help you get to the Goreme bus station. There are numerous buses from Göreme to other parts of Turkey. The cheapest fare quoted to Istanbul as of July 2010 was 50 TL direct from Sultanahmet (Old City), Istanbul by Suha Company with reclining seats and tv-sets at the back of every seat, though this required changing buses at Nevsehir and arriving at Göreme by shuttle most of the times. The nearest airports to Goreme are in Kayseri or Nevsehir. To Kayseri Airport, Turkish Airlines as well as Onur Air or Pegasus have several flights a day from Istanbul. SunExpress is another low-cost option. Outside the airport are only taxis (cost 12 TL to the main bus station, otogar) and arranged shuttle buses, no dolmuş. The stop for city buses is a bit down the road following the airport exit. The Kayseri otogar is far from the airport. From otogar, there are very limited direct lines to Göreme (10 TL), but more frequent lines to Avanos, where you can transfer to a local bus for the remaining 9km to Göreme; the station is unmarked and the ride costs 2.5 TL.If you have a hotel transfer option, take it: it is much more convenient. |
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The town of Goreme is very, very small, and you can walk to the tiny center within minutes from any part of town. Available for rent are mountain bikes, scooters, motorcycles and all terrain quads. There is regular bus service to Nevşehir (every half hour as of Oct. 2008), and from there to regional destinations including the underground cities at Kaymaklı and and Derinkuyu. Goreme is very, very small and there is not much to do. Dolmus (minibus) service runs approx. every hour to nearby larger towns like Avanosand every two hours to Urgup. However, the last dolmus services to all towns, including Nevsehir, are
in the late afternoon, and you will need to check the schedule in advance to avoid getting stuck. While the valleys are close to Goreme, it is best to rent a car or take a tour to see the major sights, such as the underground city and the best fairy chimneys, as they are located far away from town and are difficult to reach by public transportation (with the exception of the underground cities, which are easily reached by bus. |
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For tips on visiting Turkey CLICK HERE
For tips on visiting the Middle East CLICK HERE
For general travel tips on what to pack and how to plan ahead CLICK HERE
For tips on travelling on a budget CLICK HERE
For tips on visiting the Middle East CLICK HERE
For general travel tips on what to pack and how to plan ahead CLICK HERE
For tips on travelling on a budget CLICK HERE
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Where I Stayed...
Pashahan Hotel Roma Kalesi Arkasi No7-50180 Goreme/Nevsehir/Turkey Tel: 90 384 271 2283 Website: www.pashahan.com Email:info@pashahan.com |
How to Get There - Goreme is in Cappadocia. Get there by bus, plane and taxi.
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