Ihlara valley is situated 40km from Aksaray and can be reached making a turn at the 11th km of the Aksaray-Nevsehir road.
The canyon was created by the cracking and collapsing which occurred as a result of basalt and andesite lava from Mt. Hasandag’s eruption. The Melendiz river found its way through these cracks, eroding the canyon bed and helping to form canyon we see today. The Melendiz river used to be called “Potamus Kapadukus”meaning the River of Cappadocia.
Ihlara Canyon is 14km long, 100 -150m high valley begins at Ihlara valley and ends at Selime. There are numerous dwellings, churches and graves built into the valley walls, some of which are connected by tunnels and corridors.
The valley proved to be an ideal place for the seclusion and worship of monks, and a hideaway and defense area for people during times of invasion.
The decorations in the churches can be dated to various times from the 6th to the 13th centuries, and the churches can be classified into two groups. The churches near to Ihlara display frescoes with oriental influence. Those nearer to Belisirma display Byzantine type decorations.
Very few Byzantine inscriptions in this area can be read. Above a 13th century fresco in the church of St. George (Kirkdamatli), the names of Seljuk Sultan Mesud II (1282 – 1305) and the Byzantine Emperor Andronicos II are inscribed. This is proof of the tolerance of the Seljuk rulers. The best preserved frescos are to be found in the churches of Agacalti, Purenliseki, Kokar, Yilanli and Kirkdamatli.
Ihlara Valley is a 7km canyon cut into the dry Cappadocian wilderness by the Melendiz River. The floor of the gorge is lush and verdant. There are lots of rockcut Byzantine churches hidden in the vertical valley walls. It was a favourite place for early Christians to hide from Roman persecution.
Ihlara Valley has to be one of the best hikes in Cappadocia.
You can do a short 3.5km, medium 7km, or long 14km hike through Ihlara Valley depending on where you start. It is a must do if you have more than one day in Cappadocia.
Ihlara Vadisi , a hidden gem in Cappadocia area, is a very attracive canyon to walk through.
The walking trail under trees, by Melendiz stream is all surrounded by cave dwellings (lots of churches, chapels and houses connected by tunnels ) many of which are off limits due to risk of collapsing.
After seeing a series of underground cities, cave churches and rock formations, i particularly enjoyed touring around Ihlara region.
It's pity that I didnt get a chance to walk through the valley as it was too cold to walk. But we drove around the region to see the surrounding.
This is a fantastic nature park. Lovely river, it is best to walk around leisurely to absorb its beauty.
Nice hike. Very different than other parts of Cappadocia. Takes a couple of hours but the scenry is nice, some interesting caves along the way and a wonderful riverside restaurant half way along.
We took an organized tour for the 7km hike which was great but we went on a Sunday and found the gorge hopelessly overcrowded with domestic tourists as well as large tour groups. This will definetly take away from your hiking experience if you are used to hike lesser used trails.
Beautiful valley and the walk along the river is pleasant and not strenuous, I wouldn't rate it as highly as other sites, probably a 3.5 on the TA scale.
One of our favorite stops in the area, partially because it lacked the crowds and tour buses we encountered at the Goreme open air museum and the underground cities. This made exploring the old cave churches much more of an adventure.
There are many hikes in Cappadocia, some of which can be quite challenging. lhara is not so and anyone can go for a comfortable 5km hike along the river and enjoy some stunning scenery, a couple of interesting cave churches and a couple of riverside cafes.
The scenery, although beautiful, is slightly less stunning than many of the other valleys…