Nevşehir is the gateway to Cappadocia, one of the world's most extraordinary landscapes, where millennia of volcanic eruptions and erosion sculpted a dreamlike terrain of fairy chimneys, cave dwellings, and underground cities. The province combines UNESCO World Heritage rock churches, ancient underground cities, and world-famous hot air balloon flights over surreal valleys.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Nevşehir.
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1
Hittite Empire uses Cappadocia; Kültepe (Kaneş) near Kayseri is a major Assyrian trading colony and one of the oldest known commercial archives
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2
Persian Achaemenid Empire controls the region; name 'Cappadocia' (Katpatuka — Land of Beautiful Horses) first recorded in Persian sources
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3
Hellenistic period; brief Macedonian rule followed by independent Kingdom of Cappadocia; Greek language and culture spread
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4
Roman Emperor Tiberius annexes Cappadocia as a Roman province; region becomes strategically important for eastern borders
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5
Early Christian communities establish themselves; saints Basil, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Gregory of Nyssa (the Cappadocian Fathers) shape Christian theology here
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6
Byzantine monks excavate hundreds of rock-cut churches and monasteries; underground cities expanded and used as refuges during Arab raids
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7
Peak of Byzantine fresco-painting; Göreme's churches receive their finest decorations; Dark Church and Snake Church frescoes date to this period
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8
Battle of Manzikert; Seljuk Turks defeat Byzantine army; Cappadocia gradually transitions to Seljuk and Islamic culture
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9
Seljuk Sultanate of Rum builds caravanserais including Sarıhan (near Avanos) along trade routes; Hacıbektaş Veli settles in the region (13th century)
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10
Ottoman period; Greek-speaking Christians and Turkish Muslims coexist in Cappadocia; villages like Mustafapaşa (Sinassos) show hybrid Greek-Ottoman architecture
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11
Population exchange between Greece and Turkey; Greek Orthodox communities leave; many Cappadocian villages are partially abandoned
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12
Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Site
Historical sites
Places where Nevşehir's past comes alive.
Göreme Open Air Museum
Where: Göreme, Nevşehir Province
Admission: ₺400 (~$12 USD); Museum Pass Cappadocia valid
Dark Church (Karanlık Kilise)
Where: Göreme Open Air Museum, Nevşehir Province
Admission: ₺100 (~$3 USD) extra within museum admission
Ihlara Valley Rock Churches
Where: Ihlara–Selime, Aksaray Province
Admission: ₺200 (~$6 USD)
Hacıbektaş Veli Complex
Where: Hacıbektaş, Nevşehir Province
Admission: ₺100 (~$3 USD)
Sarıhan Seljuk Caravanserai
Where: Avanos road, Nevşehir Province
Admission: ₺200 (~$6 USD)