Ninety seconds on Göreme Historical National Park
Before you walk the valleys of cones and capped pillars here, see the painted churches that monks cut into the same soft rock, then give the afternoon to the paths between them.
The soft volcanic rock here was easy to carve, so from the 4th to the 13th century monks cut churches, chapels and refectories into almost every block of rock. The best-kept paintings are in the churches of the Open Air Museum.
The rock is tuff, a fine stone of consolidated volcanic ash under a cap of lava, and erosion has shaped it into hundreds of cones and capped pillars. The church walls carry scenes from the Bible and the life of Christ, painted straight onto the rock or in fresco-secco, a tempera technique.
The Dark Church has no windows, and the lack of light has kept its New Testament frescoes vivid, though most of the painted faces have been scratched out.
In the Apple Church, the large apple shape on the ceiling is read as the Garden of Eden. The Snake Church, a single nave, shows a snake winding round a cross. One chapel carries the Annunciation, the Adoration of the Magi and the Last Judgement.
Split the day in two. Give the morning to the Open Air Museum, the ticketed cluster of painted churches north of the village, which has its own page. The Dark Church needs a ticket of its own.
Walk back into Göreme for lunch, then spend the afternoon in the Rose and Red valleys, which have no gate and no ticket. The paths there wind between the cones and capped pillars, past chapels cut into the rock.
The ground is uneven and loose in places, so go at an easy pace and turn back while you still have daylight.
Hire a guide if you want the frescoes, their iconography and the monastic layout explained; for a self-paced look at the main churches, standard entry is enough. The museum offers an audio guide; if you want one, ask at the gate on arrival.
The Open Air Museum and the Three Beauties fairy chimneys are the busiest spots in the park. From April to October, tour buses bunch up at the museum from late morning to early afternoon, a good time to be out in the valleys instead.
For the valleys, wear sturdy shoes with grip; trainers with a good sole will do. Carry plenty of water and, in summer, walk early, before the midday heat.
At the museum, bring only a small day bag, as oversized luggage is not allowed.
Explore the rest of Göreme
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