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    Ürgüp
    Bernard Gagnon / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

    Turkey

    Ürgüp

    CityCultureNature

    Ürgüp is a small town with just under 25,000 inhabitants in the heart of Cappadocia and is considered the main center for regional viticulture.

    by Felix Gillen

    1. Home
    3. Destinations
    5. Turkey
    7. Cappadocia
    9. Ürgüp
    Ürgüp is a small town with just under 25,000 inhabitants in the heart of Cappadocia and is considered the main center for regional viticulture. Ottoman-era stone houses, cave hotels in the rock faces, and the Temenni Wish Hill define the center. At the western entrance to the town stand the Üç Güzeller Fairy Chimneys; a few kilometers south lies the village of Mustafapaşa with its Greek mansions.

    Sights in Ürgüp

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Temenni Tepesi (Wish Hill)
    Attraction

    1Temenni Tepesi (Wish Hill)

    The hill rises in the middle of the town and offers a panoramic view over Ürgüp and the rock faces of the old town. At the top stands a symbolic tomb from 1863 for the Seljuk ruler Kılıçarslan IV., who was killed in Ürgüp. Also preserved in Ürgüp from the Seljuk period is the hexagonal tomb Altı Kapılar.
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    Turasan Winery
    Point of Interest

    2Turasan Winery

    Founded in 1943, this winery is one of Cappadocia's most renowned cellars and is located right in Ürgüp. During a short guided tour through its rock-hewn cellar, you can taste several white, rosé, and red wines. The region is considered home to the white Emir grape.
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    Devrent Valley (Valley of Fantasy)
    Attraction

    3Devrent Valley (Valley of Fantasy)

    The valley on the road from Ürgüp to Avanos resembles a moonscape of rock cones, evocative of animals and figures. The most famous is a camel-shaped rock near the entrance. Unlike the valleys around Göreme, it was never inhabited; there are no rock churches. Access is free, and souvenir stalls are at the parking lot.
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    Üç Güzeller (Three Beauties)

    4Üç Güzeller (Three Beauties)

    The three adjacent fairy chimneys at the western entrance to Ürgüp are among Cappadocia's most famous photo opportunities. Locals see them as Father, Mother, and Child. According to legend, a princess fled with a shepherd, and the small family was turned to stone to avoid separation. The rocks are located directly on the road from Nevşehir to Ürgüp; at the viewpoint, there are small souvenir shops.
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    Restaurants in Ürgüp

    1

    Babayan Evi

    The restaurant in nearby Ortahisar is listed by the Michelin Guide as a Bib Gourmand with a Green Star for sustainable practices. Cooked over a wood fire, served in clay pottery: stuffed vine leaves, bulgur, and bread, usually as a fixed menu.
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    2

    Revithia

    The restaurant in the Kayakapı district is the first in Cappadocia with a Michelin star. The cuisine revives almost forgotten regional recipes and works with local ingredients, such as several eggplant preparations with pomegranate and tahini cream. From the terrace, you overlook Ürgüp.
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    3

    Old Greek House

    The family restaurant in Mustafapaşa is located in a 19th-century house with an arcaded courtyard and old murals. The cuisine blends Turkish and Greek influences; the Michelin Guide lists it as a Bib Gourmand. Several members of the operating family were born in this house.
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    Food and Drink

    Ürgüp verbindet kappadokische Hausmannskost mit Wein aus der Region, mehrere Restaurants der Umgebung stehen im Michelin Guide.

    Emir-Wein

    The white Emir grape thrives on Cappadocia's volcanic soils, and the Turasan winery in Ürgüp was founded in 1943.

    Testi Kebab

    Meat and vegetables simmer in the sealed clay pot, opened at the table.

    Stewed Apricots

    Meat with sweet apricots, cooked in a clay pot over a wood fire. If the fruit isn't sweet enough, grape syrup is added.

    Zerdeli Pilaf

    Rice with grape syrup, chickpeas, almonds and raisins.

    Culture and History

    From Osiana to ÜrgüpIn Byzantine times the town was called Osiana, or Prokopi in Greek after Saint Procopius. The hexagonal Altı Kapılar tomb was built under the Seljuks. On Temenni Hill, a symbolic tomb from 1863 commemorates Sultan Kılıçarslan IV, who was killed here.Greek HeritageIn Ottoman times Muslims and Christians lived together in the town, and many stone houses date from this period. With the population exchange of 1924 the Greek Orthodox families moved to Euboea and Larissa, taking the relics of Saint John the Russian with them. Larissa has been Ürgüp's twin town since 1996.MustafapaşaThe former Sinasos grew wealthy in the 19th century through merchants who traded goods between Constantinople, Russia and Europe. On the main square stands the Church of Ayios Konstantinos-Eleni from 1729, restored in 1850. In 2021 the World Tourism Organization named Mustafapaşa one of the Best Tourism Villages.

    Getting There & Around

    ArrivalFrom Kayseri Airport and Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport, hotels offer transfers. From Kayseri bus station, buses travel to Ürgüp in about an hour.LocallyDolmuş: Minibuses connect Ürgüp with Göreme, Avanos, and Nevşehir.Short Distances: Göreme Open-Air Museum is about 6.5 kilometers away; Devrent Valley is located on the road to Avanos.Wine Tastings: If you try wine, take a Dolmuş or taxi for the return journey.TipThe Üç Güzeller fairy chimneys are most beautiful at sunset.

    Accommodations in Ürgüp

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    Campgrounds in Ürgüp

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      • 1Temenni Tepesi (Wish Hill)3 days
      • 2Turasan Winery4 days
      • 3Devrent Valley (Valley of Fantasy)5 days
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    Nearby

    Cappadocia

    Cappadocia

    Cappadocia lies in Anatolia's heart, about an hour's flight from Istanbul, on a high plateau over 1,000 meters. Fairy chimneys, rock-cut churches with Byzantine frescoes, and underground cities make it one of Turkey's most famous destinations. Göreme National Park and Cappadocia's Rock Sites are UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1985.
    Göreme

    Göreme

    Göreme is a town with around 2,000 inhabitants in the center of Cappadocia, surrounded by valleys full of fairy chimneys. Here you'll find the open-air museum with its rock-cut churches and hiking trails through Rose, Red, and Love Valley, above which hot-air balloons glide at sunrise. Many old cave houses are now hotels; Uçhisar and Çavuşin can be reached on foot through the valleys.
    Derinkuyu

    Derinkuyu

    Derinkuyu is located in southern Cappadocia on the road from Nevşehir to Niğde and is known for its underground city. Its passages, halls, and stables extend approximately 85 meters deep, where up to 20,000 people once found refuge. A few kilometers north lies the second major underground city, Kaymaklı; both belong to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Göreme.
    Ihlara Valley

    Ihlara Valley

    The Ihlara Valley is a gorge up to 150 metres deep in the southwest of Cappadocia, about an hour and a half by car from Göreme. The Melendiz River carved it into the tuff of the Hasan Dağı volcano, and around 50 rock churches lie in its walls. A hiking trail follows the water for about 14 kilometres from Ihlara via Belisırma to the rock monastery of Selime.
    Hattuşa

    Hattuşa

    From approximately 1650 BC, Hattuşa served as the Hittite capital and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1986. The ruins are situated near Boğazkale in Çorum Province, approximately two hours by car east of Ankara. City walls, the Lion and Sphinx Gates, the Great Temple, and the Yazılıkaya rock sanctuary reveal how the Hittites built and worshipped their gods.

    Sources & method

    • Photos: Wikimedia Commons, Google Maps. Each photo carries its credit.
    • Place data such as addresses and ratings comes from Google Maps.
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