Ihlara Valley Travel Guide

The Ihlara valley is number one in Cappadocia when it comes to spectacular scenery. It's removed a little from the rest of the Cappadocian sites it can be a little tricky to get to but it's worth a full day if you can spare one.  Ihlara Valley is 100 km SW of Cappadocia. It is best to see the underground city (sakli kent) first  coming from Cappodica to see the Ihlara Valley.

The gorge is 16 km long and both sides are lined with rock carved churches, about 100 in all. You can look at the more important of these in a couple of hours but it's very pleasant to spend an afternoon following the river down the valley and exploring on your own.  The gorge was carved in basalt columns (as seen in the picture) by the river. It is the best hiding places during early Christianity when the religion was  prohibited by the Romans, in the valley each hole is either a church or a house.

The climb down to and especially up from the gorge can be demanding and probably shouldn't be attempted if you're feeling frail. To make the most of your time here a full day and a picnic is a good idea and will repay the effort in terms of a relaxed days pottering about admiring the churches and the valley's beautiful scenery.