Offbeat Cappadocia Tour: Traditional Villages, Sobessos, Keslik Monastery, Kaymakli, Soganli

This tour is the best choice for those who are looking for authenticity and want to experience true Turkish village life. Begin a lovely day with a visit to a small town of Mustafapasa (formerly known as Sinasos). It was one of the largest Greek towns in Cappadocia until the Greeks left Muratpasa during the exchange of populations in 1923. This small town is very famous for the splendid examples of Ottoman and Greek architecture: huge Ottoman mansions with carved doors and window frames, Ottoman-era Sakir Pasa Medrese (university college), the Old Greek House, the 19th-century church of Constantine and Helen, etc. 

Next place to visit is Sobessos. It is an ancient city discovered in the past 10 years just outside Sahinefendi village. The excavation work still goes on. For now, it is possible to see ruins of the Roman baths, agora, bouleuterion and the 6th-century church with a geometric mosaic floor. After Sobessos drive to the hidden treasure of Cappadocia, Keslik monastery. Explore the monastery inside and get an idea about the life of monks there. This monastery complex has interesting places to visit: the Church of the Archangel, the Chapel of Saint Stephen, rock-cut refectory, dining area, living quarters and a pool of sacred water. The Church of the Archangel has rare iconoclastic examples of frescoes which are very beautiful and definitely worth seeing. 

From the Keslik monstery continue driving to the Soganli valley. It remains far off the beaten Cappadocian track and it is not so much visited by tourists compared to other valleys. Soganli has numerous rock-cut churches and monasteries and it is a very beautiful hiking valley. Authentic handmade dolls produced in Soganli and its surroundings became a very popular souvenir from Cappadocia. 

After hiking through this spectacular valley you will get a lunch and then go to visit the largest underground city of Cappadocia - Kaymakli underground city. It was opened to visitors in 1964 and consists of 8 levels (only 4 are open). Walk through the narrow corridors and discover numerous rooms and storages carved from the soft volcanic stone; have a chance to see rolling-stone doors, deep wells and ventilation shafts. This amazing trip to remote and fascinating places ends with a hotel drop-off.

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