Cappadocia

[[file:Cappadocia banner Ballooning - Ballooning over Cappadocia, a common tourist activity}} Cappadocia - Rock houses in Göreme

Cappadocia ( Turkish: Kapadokya) is an area in Central Anatolia in Türkiye best known for its unique moon-like landscape, underground city's, cave churches and houses carved in the rocks.

Cappadocia Halal Travel Guide

The ancient region of Cappadocia is located in central Anatolia between the city's of Nevsehir, Nigde and Kayseri. Millions of years ago violent eruptions of the volcanoes Mount Erciyes and Mount Hasan covered the surrounding plateau with tuff. Wind and weather have eroded the soft volcanic rock into hundreds of strangely shaped pillars, cones and "fairy chimneys", in colours ranging from pink to green and yellow. Since antiquity, people have hollowed out these soft rocks, and they have made countless cave churches, chapels and monasteries.

The churches are from the early Christianity. The art style of the churches can be classified into two categories: the 8th and 9th century are the iconoclastic years the 10th to the 13th centuries whose decorations represent the lives of Christ and various saints. The architecture of the churches are uncomplicated.

History

The prehistoric settlements of the area are Koskhoyuk (Kosk Mound) in Nigde, Aksaray Asikli Mound, Nevsehir Civelek cave and, in the southeast, Kultepe, Kanis and Alisar in the environs of Kayseri. This area with unusual topographic characteristics was regarded as sacred and called, in the Scythian/Khatti language, as Khepatukha, meaning "the nation of the people of the chief god Hepat", although there are more poetic claims on the origin of the region's name, such as the Old Persian Katpatuka, which is said to mean "the land of beautiful horses". The tablets called Cappadocian Tablets and the Hittite works of art in Alisar are of the important remains dating from the 2000s BC. After the 1200s BC and the Tabal principality, of the Khatti Branches of Scythians, became strong and founded the Kingdom of Tabal. Following the Late Hittite and Persian aras and the Cappadocian Kingdom was established in 332 BC. During the Roman perioid the area served as a shelter for the early escaping Christians. There are also several underground city's used by early Christians as hideouts in Cappadocia.

When the Turks started to arrive in the region after immigrating from their homeland in Central Asia around the 11th century and they found the area largely uninhabited. Seeing the strange, upheld rock formations drilled inside out as they were and they concluded that these should have been the chimneys of the homes of the otherkin, thus providing the popular name for the "fairy chimneys" (a direct translation of Turkish peri bacası).

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Cities

Ibrahimpasa koyu bridge, El puente de Babayan - Ibrahimpasa

Cavusin
Göreme — fairy chimneys in the rock city. One of the main tourist spots in Cappadocia.
Güzelyurt — historic town close to Ihlara Valley
Nevsehir — capital of the region
Uçhisar — superb views of the Cappadocia valley that can be seen from its rock castle
Ürgüp — cave dwellings, as well as the rock cones in and around this city

More Destinations

Ihlara Valley (Ihlara Vadisi) — lots of churches carved into rocks, this valley is about an hour west of the core of Cappadocia, i.e. Ürgüp/Göreme area.

How to travel to Cappadocia

Discouraged by its remoteness?| Due to its location, roundtrip bus travel to Cappadocia can be tiring, and air travel expensive. If you book your ticket in time, flights tickets can be as affordable as a bus ticket. Many people visit as part of a larger circular tour of Western Türkiye, utilizing the well-developed intercity bus system and/or one-way flights.

Travel on a Bus in Cappadocia

Most of the bus companies have bus services to Nevsehir and Göreme. By bus:

Istanbul - 12 hours
Ankara - 5 hours
Bursa - 11 hours
Izmir - 12 hours
Konya - 4 hours
Antalya - 9 hours
Çanakkale - 17 hours

Fly to Cappadocia

The fastest and most comfortable way of reaching Cappadocia is using the airway. There are two main airports that you can use to reach Cappadocia. One of them is Kayseri Erkilet Airport (IATA Flight Code: ASR) located in Kayseri and nearly one hour driving to the center of Cappadocia region. Turkish Airlines operates several direct (nonstop) Flights from Istanbul Atatürk Airport (IATA Flight Code: IST) to Kayseri Erkilet Airport. There are also daily Flights from Izmir into Kayseri via Istanbul. It's easy to arrange a transfer or shuttle bus from Kayseri Airport to Cappadocia.

The second one is Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport (IATA Flight Code: NAV), which is located in Gülşehir town of Nevsehir|Nevşehir Province. Turkish Airlines operates direct (nonstop) flight from Istanbul Atatürk to Nevsehir Kapadokya twice daily.

Travel by train to Cappadocia

Kayseri is on a busy railway route. It is feasible to find suitable trains to Kayseri from almost all the train stations of Türkiye. From Kayseri, you can take bus to go to Göreme.

How to get around in Cappadocia

The region has a very low population density, limited public transportation, and the sites are very far apart, so you may want to consider either renting a vehicle or buying a tour package.

However, you may come across exorbitantly priced vehicle rentals, as much as 560 TL per day. Bargaining is needed in such instances.

What to see in Cappadocia

Göreme#Greme Open Air Museum|Göreme Open Air Museum and Dark Church - is a complex of churches and chapels, dating back to 10th century. There are great frescoes in many, Yilanli Church, Tokali Church are among the most important.

Babayan panaromik kar - İbrahimpaşa panorama Cappadocia, Türkiye - Winter in Cappadocia

Mustafapaşa and İbrahimpaşa towns
Ihlara Canyon- beautiful canyon with cave churches dug out of the walls of the valley. You are urged to walk along the valley and explore the churches and its numerous frescoes.
Zelve is also one the most impressing valleys in the region offering a more disorganised and rough hike.

Gümüşler Monastery | Spectacular monastery carved in rock, hidden from the outside world. Dated at 10-11th century and only recovered in the 1960s. The ticket seller speaks some English and can give you a tour. The monastery has some well preserved frescoes, including the only smiling (Mona Lisa-style) Madonna in the world.

Underground city's

Kaymakli underground city 9003 Nevit Enhancer - Kaymakli underground city

Also there are ancient underground city's which have up to 8 stories of underground tunnels and caves, about 85 m deep. There were rooms for grain storage, sleeping chambers, kitchens and ventilation shafts. Long time ago they've been used as hiding places during times of raids. But now they work as museums and are open to the public.

The underground city's of Kaymakli and Derinkuyu are the two most important.

Derinkuyu Largest excavated underground city in Türkiye built in the 8th–7th centuries BC. About 10% of it is accessible to visitors now.

Kaymaklı Kaymaklı's structure and layout is different from Derinkuyu: the tunnels are lower, narrower, and more steeply inclined. It has 4 floors opened for visitors.

Özkonak Features only one underground floor, although it covers a large area.

Gaziemir It has two underground churches, camel staying place (which is the only one underground caravansary in the Cappadocia) and a large agora.
Mazıköy

Top Muslim Travel Tips for Cappadocia

Hiking - Following the paths along the valleys is an amazing (and free) option. Check with your hotel owner or the tourist office for a map of the area with suggested walks and trails. There are several nice loops on packed dirt, sand and rock, that maintain a constant elevation and pass through the scenic valleys.
Güvercinlik (Pigeon) Valley - You can hike the Pigeon Valley between Göreme and Uçhisar. The 4-km trail starts from the road near the Ataman Hotel on the south side of Göreme or on the paved road on the north side of the hill where Uçhisar#Uhisar Castle Landlords Castle|Uçhisar Castle sits in Uçhisar. Both trailheads are signed. Stick to the more traveled trails and you will have no trouble finding your way on this moderately hilly hike. The path through the valley offers spectacular views of the natural cliffs and the man-made caves and passes through a few tunnels carved into the rock.

Rose Valley | Beautiful green valley.

RoseValleyCappadoccia - Rose Valley

CappadocciaFresco - From Kale Church in Rose Valley

Organized tours - Every travel agency offers the "red", "green" and "blue" tour, and the itinerary is crucially the same no matter who you purchase the tour from. Tours will include transportation, but verify whether lunch and entrance fees are also included. Names and itineraries change occasionally, but expect that whatever name and itinerary is used at one agency will be the same at the others. However private tours are not the same so is the experience.
The Red Tour is the most basic, visiting sites in the immediate vicinity of Göreme including the open-air museum and the castle at Uçhisar, and the pottery shops at Avanos.
The Green Tour is a bit more adventurous, visiting the Pigeon Valley and then going farther afield to visit Derinkuyu Underground City, Nar Lake, Ihlara Valley and Selime.
The Blue Tour is the most off-the-beaten path of the three tours, taking visitors to the former Greek town of Mustafapasa and the monastery at Soganli.
Hot Air Balloon Tours are one of the most popular activities in Göreme. Typically lifting off at sunrise and these rides last about an hour in the air and literally go wherever the wind may blow in the Cappadocia Valley. The balloon baskets hold around 20 people with the pilot riding air currents much like a boat, floating down the valleys, often below the ridge line and quite close to the chimney rocks. It's a fantastic ride and if you've ever had the urge to splurge on a balloon ride, this would be the place to do it. There are 25 balloon companies in the region.

Cross Golf - Cappadocia is a national park and its natural environment must be protected for everyone to enjoy today and in the future. Cross Golf uses the natural features of the landscape to challenge even the most experienced golfer. The fairy chimneys, fascinating rock formations and flora and fauna in the unique environment of Cappadocia remain unaffected by Cross Golf.

Halal Restaurants & Food in Cappadocia

TestiKebabGoreme - Testi Kebab

Dishes:

Dry [ Apricots and grapes
Mantı (kind of ravioli with minced Meat served with [ Yoghurt and garlic sauce)
Testi Kebap (jug [ Halal kebab)- Meat and vegetables cooked in a clay pot (or jug) sealed with bread dough. The pot is broken when serving.

Pastirmali kuru fasulye (white beans with spiced meat)
sweets

eHalal Group Launches Halal Guide to Cappadocia

Cappadocia - eHalal Travel Group, a leading provider of innovative Halal travel solutions for Muslim travelers to Cappadocia, is thrilled to announce the official launch of its comprehensive Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide for Cappadocia. This groundbreaking initiative aims to cater to the diverse needs of Muslim travelers, offering them a seamless and enriching travel experience in Cappadocia and its surrounding regions.

With the steady growth of Muslim tourism worldwide, eHalal Travel Group recognizes the importance of providing Muslim travelers with accessible, accurate, and up-to-date information to support their travel aspirations to Cappadocia. The Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide is designed to be a one-stop resource, offering an array of invaluable information on various travel aspects, all carefully curated to align with Islamic principles and values.

The Travel Guide encompasses a wide range of features that will undoubtedly enhance the travel experience for Muslim visitors to Cappadocia. Key components include:

Halal-Friendly Accommodations in Cappadocia: A carefully selected list of hotels, lodges, and vacation rentals that cater to halal requirements, ensuring a comfortable and welcoming stay for Muslim travelers in Cappadocia.

Halal Food, Restaurants and Dining in Cappadocia: A comprehensive directory of restaurants, eateries, and food outlets offering halal-certified or halal-friendly options in Cappadocia, allowing Muslim travelers to savor local cuisines without compromising their dietary preferences in Cappadocia.

Prayer Facilities: Information on masjids, prayer rooms, and suitable locations for daily prayers in Cappadocia, ensuring ease and convenience for Muslim visitors in fulfilling their religious obligations.

Local Attractions: An engaging compilation of Muslim-friendly attractions, cultural sites such as Museums, and points of interest in Cappadocia, enabling travelers to explore the city's rich heritage while adhering to their values.

Transport and Logistics: Practical guidance on transportation options that accommodate Muslim travel needs, ensuring seamless movement within Cappadocia and beyond.

Speaking about the launch, Irwan Shah, Chief Technology Officer of eHalal Travel Group in Cappadocia, stated, "We are thrilled to introduce our Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide in Cappadocia, a Muslim friendly destination known for its cultural richness and historical significance. Our goal is to empower Muslim travelers with accurate information and resources, enabling them to experience the wonders of Cappadocia without any concerns about their faith-based requirements. This initiative reaffirms our commitment to creating inclusive and memorable travel experiences for all our clients."

The eHalal Travel Group's Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide for Cappadocia is now accessible on this page. The guide will be regularly updated to ensure that Muslim travelers have access to the latest information, thus reinforcing its status as a reliable companion for Muslim travelers exploring Cappadocia.

About eHalal Travel Group:

eHalal Travel Group Cappadocia is a prominent name in the global Muslim travel industry, dedicated to providing innovative and all-inclusive travel solutions tailored to the needs of Muslim travelers worldwide. With a commitment to excellence and inclusivity, eHalal Travel Group aims to foster a seamless travel experience for its clients while respecting their religious and cultural values.

For Halal business inquiries in Cappadocia, please contact:

eHalal Travel Group Cappadocia Media: info@ehalal.io

Buy Muslim Friendly condos, Houses and Villas in Cappadocia

eHalal Group Cappadocia is a prominent real estate company specializing in providing Muslim-friendly properties in Cappadocia. Our mission is to cater to the specific needs and preferences of the Muslim community by offering a wide range of halal-certified residential and commercial properties, including houses, condos, and factories. With our commitment to excellence, client satisfaction, and adherence to Islamic principles, eHalal Group has established itself as a trusted name in the real estate industry in Cappadocia.

At eHalal Group, we understand the importance of meeting the unique requirements of Muslim individuals and families seeking properties that align with their cultural and religious trainings. Our extensive portfolio of Muslim-friendly properties in Cappadocia ensures that clients have access to a diverse selection of options tailored to their needs. Whether it's a luxurious villa, a modern condominium, or a fully equipped factory, our team is dedicated to assisting clients in finding their ideal property.

For those seeking a comfortable and modern living space, our condos are an excellent choice. Starting at US$ 350,000 and these condominium units offer contemporary designs, state-of-the-art facilities, and convenient locations within Cappadocia. Each condo is thoughtfully designed to incorporate halal-friendly features and amenities, ensuring a seamless integration of Islamic values into everyday living.

If you are looking for a more spacious option, our houses are perfect for you. Starting at US$ 650,000, our houses provide ample living space, privacy, and a range of customizable features to meet your specific requirements. These houses are located in well-established neighborhoods in Cappadocia, offering a harmonious balance between modern living and Islamic values.

For those seeking luxury and exclusivity, our luxury villas in Cappadocia are the epitome of sophistication and elegance. Starting at US$ 1.5 million and these villas offer a lavish lifestyle with private amenities, breathtaking views, and meticulous attention to detail. Each luxury villa is meticulously designed to provide a serene and halal environment, allowing you to enjoy the finest living experience while adhering to your Islamic principles. For further details please email us at info@ehalal.io

Ramadan 2024 Celebration in Cappadocia

Ramadan 2025 in Cappadocia

Ramadan concludes with the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which may last several days, usually three in most countries.

The next Ramadan shall be from Friday, 28 February 2025 to Saturday, 29 March 2025

The next Eid al-Adha shall be on Friday, 6 June 2025

The next day of Raʾs al-Sana shall be on Thursday, 26 June 2025

The next day for Mawlid al-Nabī shall be on Monday, 16 September 2024

Muslim Friendly Hotels/Resorts

Visitors are recommended to stay in one of the cave hotels which are the speciality of the region. There are also many lodging options in Urgup, Goreme, Uchisar, Ortahisar and Avanos towns for every budget.

You can find also bewitching historical Greek mansions and cave hotels in Güzelyurt.

From five-star hotels to little hostels and there is a variety of lodging facilities in Cappadocia. However and the towns of Ibrahim Pasa (Babayan) andAyvalı are probably the most authentic ones. The restored Greek houses offer cave and arched rooms offer pleasant lodging.

Shopping in Cappadocia

Cappadocia is an important area for shopping, with wonderful carpets and kilims and hand made local pottery by artizans.

Stay Safe

News & References Cappadocia

More Muslim friendly Destinations from Cappadocia