Ortahisar - Meskendir Valley - Çavuşin

Characteristics of the Route:

The route starts in Ortahisar Town, the center of Cappadocia, passes through the streets of the town and reaches the ramp of Ishak Pasha Fortress. After the fortress, the route enters the narrow path with a green view and turns into an enjoyable track with tunnels in the Meskendir Valley. After the modest cafe at the meeting point of several hiking routes, it follows a dirt road. In the 12th century, the Seljuk Turks joined the peoples of Anatolia, which had blended many cultures for thousands of years, and the Muslim Turks fused with the Christian Greeks over time. Hence, when you reach Cavusin, which contains different architectural structures and churches, you will find yourself in the traces of history.

Connected Routes:

Goreme – Aydinkiragi – Gorkundere – The Church of the Evil Eye – The Symmetrical Church – Ortahisar

Mustafapasa – Gomeda – Uzengi – Ortahisar

Ibrahimpasa – Ortahisar

Cavusin – Bozdag – Kizilcukur

Cavusin – Crusader Church – Gulludere – Kizilcukur

Cavusin – Bozdag – Kizilcukur

Notes to Travelers:

There is an entry fee to Ortahisar Castle, the museum card is not valid.

If you are hiking in early spring, you can see the Thymus cappadocicus, one of the endemic plants of Cappadocia, blooming throughout the spring.

Make sure your water bottle is full as you won't find water on the route.

You can try delicious menus of restaurants with different styles in Uchisar and Cavusin.

You can find beverages suitable to your taste such as tea, coffee, and fruit juice in the modest cafe you will see in the valley.

You can take stunning photos on the plateau above St. John the Baptist Chapel.

You can visit the Seljuk Mosque in Cavusin Town, the charming "historical house" on the cobblestone road that goes up by the mosque, and St. John the Baptist Chapel, which you will reach after a few minutes' walk at the end of the road, free of charge.