Goreme Open Air Museum

Address: Cappadocia, Turkey
Hours: Apr–Oct: 8:30am - 5:30pm; Nov–Mar: 8am - 4:30pm
Admission: €15

ATTRACTION Keywords:
Cultural Experience, Good Views / Viewpoint, Sunrise / Sunset, Tip - What to See & Do, Church / Cathedral, Museum

8:04 AM Thursday, May 23
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One of Cappadocia’s most famous sites is the Göreme Open Air Museum, a ring shaped collection of churches cut into the soft volcanic cliffs.

In the 4th century the area became known as the Land of the Three Saints after the theologians St. Basil the Great, his brother St. Gregory of Nyssa, and St. Gregory of Nazianzus. In the Middle Ages the importance of this area again soared and many monasteries, churches and chapels were dug out of the rock. The best of these still have vivid Byzantine frescoes of religious scenes.

Churches include Basil Kilise (St Basil’s Church), Elmali Kilise (Apple Church), and the richly decorated Tokali Kilise (Buckle Church), which is the oldest and lies just outside the gates of the museum. The best-preserved frescoes are in the Karanlık Kilise (Dark Church) which has been restored after being used as a pigeon house until the 1950s.

Göreme Open Air Museum is just a 15 minute walk (1 mile/1.5km) from Göreme or a short drive from Ürgüp.

Latest Reviews

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All Goreme Open Air Museum Reviews

Review by Blanca, United Kingdom, September 2012
Doing what: 2-Day Cappadocia Trip from Kayseri

I really enjoyed this trip, it was absolutely amazing! Our guide was great, he was very knowledgeable and at the same time very nice and entertaining. After Istanbul, we loved being out in the nature and doing an easy hike in the Rose Valley. The natural formations we saw on this trip were absolutely amazing! We loved the fairy chimneys, the underground cities and the Goreme open air museum. Also really enjoyed being in a small group. I would definitely recommend this tour!

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Review by Paul C, USA, September 2012
Doing what: 2-Day Cappadocia Trip from Kayseri

Amazing!!! Mother nature was hard at work in this part of the world!! Tour guide was excellent and everything was seamless. DEFINTELY TAKE A HOT AIR BALLOON RIDE!!!! Phenominal experience!

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Review by Blanca G, Spain, August 2012
Doing what: 2-Day Cappadocia Trip from Kayseri

I have to admit I was not really sure what to expect of this tour. We hired a 2 day tour to see the main highlights of Cappadocia, of which I was mostly looking forward to the fairy chimneys. We landed from Istanbul the morning the tour began, and kicked off the day with a easy hike along the Rose Valley. After spending a few days in all the hustle and bustle of Istanbul I was so grateful to find a bit of quiet, admire the rock formations and listen to our guide explaining how the area originated and enjoy a quick stop for tea. Lunch involved a typical place in Avanos, overlooking the river. After refuelling we were taken to see one of the Christian underground cities in the area. It was amazing how much they had excavated into the rock and being able to explore it. On the second day we visited the Goreme Open Air museum. Our guide was very knowledgeable and explained quite a few of the buildings and the frescos in the churches built by the Christians. This was just as beautiful as the fairy chimneys we went to see in the afternoon before finishing our visit. All in all, I greatly recommend this tour. When we went (early june) there were a few tour buses but felt quite laid back, and the group we were in was small and the guide very friendly. I wish I could have stayed one or two days more to relax a bit and enjoy the area, but I think I got a good overall impression.

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