Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia

Göreme is a town in the Cappadocia region of central Turkey. Just east of town is the Göreme Open Air Museum, with cave churches and frescoes from the 10th to 12th centuries. Southwest is Uçhisar Castle, a fortification carved into a large rock, with panoramic views from the top. To the north, the landscape at Paşabağ Valley is known for Cappadocia’s “fairy chimneys,” cone-shaped rock formations.

Göreme National Park is a national park in central Turkey. It occupies an area of nearly 100 km2 (39 sq mi) and is located in Nevşehir Province. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 under the name Goreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia. The park features a rocky, water- and wind-eroded landscape with a network of ancient, interconnecting underground settlements.

In a spectacular landscape, entirely sculpted by erosion, the Göreme valley and its surroundings contain rock-hewn sanctuaries that provide unique evidence of Byzantine art in the post-Iconoclastic period. Dwellings, troglodyte villages and underground towns – the remains of a traditional human habitat dating back to the 4th century – can also be seen there.