DAILY GREEN TOUR DETAILS

ESENTEPE viewpoint is the best panoramic viewpoint from which to see Goreme Valley. The village is full of fairy chimneys, some of which have been converted into homes by cutting caves out of the soft volcanic rock, and some of which became churches. In the distance you can see the red, rose and cream coloured rocks of the local valleys.

IHLARA CANYON was formed by the Melendiz River which originates from a spring fed by the melting snows from Mount Hasan (3,268m). The 14km long gorge has sides of up to 110 meters high. We know Mount Hasan was volcanically active during Neolithic times because of the wall painting found at Catal Hoyuk (now on display at the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara).

The canyon formed a wonderfully hidden and sheltered place because it is invisible from the plateau and the zigzagging valley means you can’t see more than a few hundred meters ahead at any one time. This is undoubtedly one of the main reasons why it became home to many Byzantine monasteries, although very few of the remaining cave churches are in reasonable condition today.

The walk along the canyon is about 3½km (taking about 1½ hours). The aim is not just to walk the gorge but to take in the views and sights along the way. The willow–lined banks are still the home of traditional rural life, and you may spot women drying foodstuffs, spinning wool and milking goats on the roofs of their houses, and even washing their clothes in the river. You should also look out for villagers using horses to plough their small fields and donkeys to carry wood back to their villages.

Belisirma VILLAGE for lunch gives an opportunity to sample local dishes of fish while relaxing to the sound of the water flowing by. After lunch, it is fun to visit the remains of the two mills, one for flour and the other for linseed oil which was used for lighting before electricity arrived. Moving on, you’ll pass through YAPRAKHISAR where the pointed pinnacles down the valley side are magically appearing as the softer rock around them is slowly washed away.

YAPRAKHISAR PANORAMA is spectacular with its view of fairy chimneys emerging from the slope at the side of the canyon.

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