Ihlara Valley
Address
Contacts
+90 382 453 74 83
Show phone
Business hours
Open until 5:00 PM
Directions
Similar places nearby
15 reviews
October 30
A canyon with a simple, well-equipped trail. Wide and gentle, suitable for passing without any physical training. The path runs along a small beautiful river. The churches carved into the rocks along the route are well accessible and well preserved. The route is divided into three sections -you can choose according to your abilities. Two of them are the most saturated with sights. Entrance is paid (autumn 2024 15 euros). If you are traveling on your own, think about how you will return to the starting point of the route. Taxi drivers charge very little for transportation between entry points. We were charged 450 liras between 1 and 3 points. It may be easier to walk the middle section back and forth. The route is also included in standard tours of Cappadocia.
See original · Русский
September 15
The Ikhlara Valley is a steep stone canyon that divides the plain into two "banks" like a deep ravine. Its length is about 14 kilometers, and the depth in some places reaches 150 meters. The canyon stretches from the village of Ikhlara to the village of Selime. In the middle of the canyon, between these villages, is the village of Belysyrma, and it is located right at the bottom of the canyon. A small river Melendyz flows here.
The Ikhlara Valley is a real natural wonder, but it is also famous for the fact that Byzantine monks settled here 17 centuries ago. These hardworking monks carved their houses and churches right into the stone walls of the canyon, just like in Gorem. It is said that at that time the population of the valley reached 60 thousand people!
Now there are more than 100 churches known here, and about 20 of them are open to the public. Many of them have perfectly preserved wall frescoes of different styles: Syrian, Coptic, Armenian. They are much more interesting than the monotonous frescoes in the churches around Goreme, although well-preserved frescoes of different styles can also be found in the Open-air Museum in Goreme.
If you decide to visit the valley, keep in mind that you will have to pay for admission. This ticket will give you the opportunity to explore the entire valley and all the churches. It is open from April to October from 08:00 to 19:00, and from November to March from 08:00 to 17:00. Tickets stop selling half an hour before closing, and there are no days off.
You can walk with a backpack, even with large ones, which have everything you need for an overnight stay. You can't spend the night behind the turnstile, but you can hide with a tent if you're already inside. There are hotels in the village of Ikhlara and in Belysyrma for a comfortable overnight stay.
You can eat in the village of Belysyrma, where there are restaurants right above the river. There is also a cafe above the water on the second section of the valley. If you want to explore all the available churches, be prepared to climb the steps a lot — this will increase the time of the route.
The best months to visit are September and the second half of May, as it is very hot in summer. Be sure to stock up on water, because there is nowhere to collect it along the route. If you are with children, it is better to go through the second section — it is more suitable. There are dogs from the village in the valley, but they are harmless.
There are four different entrances to the valley. The first one is in the village of Ikhlara. It is quite quiet, and you can even skip without a ticket, since the ushers are not always visible there.
See original · Русский
August 14
Admission is 15 euros per person, in my opinion unreasonably expensive, given that you pay to walk for a long time in the heat, along a dusty road along a small river.Maybe I'm wrong, and the canyon is incredibly beautiful and not hot, but the view from the entrance is so-so and for this money, the desire to go there has disappeared.And by the way, you can take a photo with the canyon from the side of the main road and for free🙂
See original · Русский