Cappadocia's Christian Heritage Private Tour

A full day tour of the spectacular region of Cappadocia, famed for its’ lunar landscape. The tour begins with a visit to Pigeon Valley, where you can admire the multicoloured rock formations of the famous Pigeon Valley and Uchisar’s picturesque fairy chimneys. At Göreme Open Air Museum you can see several churches built into caves by Christians between the 10th and 13th centuries. In the museum you have a chance to visit several different churches and chapels. At the Cavusin old town, the church of St. John the Baptist rises on top of the hill. The church was built in the 5th century and it is the biggest cave church of Cappadocia even though it was divided into three rooms in 10th century against danger of collapsing. Most of the frescoes of St. John the Baptist church are faded by smoke but there are still some visible ones. Its cathedral-like proportions are also astounding.

Then walk through Pasabaglar, used to be known as Valley of Monks where you can see mushroom-like fairy-chimneys with multiple caps and stems situated in the middle of a vineyard. Continue in Avanos, a small town known for its’ ceramic Handcrafts which are an important part of the local culture. Situated by the river of Kizilirmak, or as it was known in ancient times: Halys River. Opportunity to try making the pottery here before lunch at a local restaurant.

The tour continues to Devrent Valley, and also Zelve Valley, known for its’ fairy chimneys with one resembling a camel and Karanlik Kilise (or the Dark Church) was a monastic compound built in the 11th century decorated with scenes from the New Testament. After the Turkish invasion it was used as a pigeon house until the 1950s. After 14 years of scraping pigeon droppings off the walls, these newly restored frescoes, depicting scenes from the New Testament, are the best preserved in all of Cappadocia and a fine example of 11th-century Byzantine art. Part of the narthex or vestibule however collapsed opening part of the church's roof to the sky. This caused damage to the fresco with Christ’s Ascension and the Benediction of the Saints, Elmali Kilise (or the Apple Church) a smaller cave church. Was built around 1050 and has carved into four irregular pillars the sign of a Greek cross with these pillars support its central dome. Restoration on the church was completed in 1991, but the frescoes continue to chip off, revealing a layer of earlier paintings underneath. The name of the church is believed to refer to a reddish orb in the left hand of the Archangel Michael in the dome of the main apse, or possibly to an apple tree that grew in the vicinity.