Ihlara Valley, Selime and Güzelyurt
A route that descends by stairs into Ihlara Valley, carved out of the tuff by the Melendiz Stream, to see the Ağaçaltı Church with its depiction of Saint Daniel, then continues to Belisırma in the middle of the valley and to the rock-carved Selime Cathedral at its northern end; it ends in Güzelyurt with the underground city and the Church of Saint Gregorios, converted into a mosque.
- Estimated duration
- ~4 h 15 min
- Straight-line distance (estimate)
- ~17 km
- Getting around
- Mixed
- Stops
- 6 stops
Duration and distance are estimates. Distance is the straight-line sum between stops; the actual road is longer. Check with a maps app before you set off.
Safety and caution
Route map
Numbers show the order of stops; the dashed line is a straight-line link between stops, not the actual road.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Stops
- 1
- 2
~380 m from the previous stop (straight line)
Church
Ağaçaltı Church
Güzelyurt, Aksaray
~0.38 km as the crow flies from the previous stop
View place - 3
~2 km from the previous stop (straight line)
Village and rural life
Belisırma
Güzelyurt, Aksaray
~1.97 km as the crow flies from the previous stop
View place - 4
~4.7 km from the previous stop (straight line)
Monastery
Selime Cathedral
Güzelyurt, Aksaray
~4.66 km as the crow flies from the previous stop
View place - 5
~10 km from the previous stop (straight line)
History and archaeology
Güzelyurt Underground City
Güzelyurt, Aksaray
~10.1 km as the crow flies from the previous stop
View place - 6
~80 m from the previous stop (straight line)
Church
Kilise Mosque (Church of Saint Gregorios)
Güzelyurt, Aksaray
~0.08 km as the crow flies from the previous stop
View place
