Goreme (Greek: Κόραμα ("Korama")), located among the "fairy chimneys" rock formations, is a town in Cappadocia, a historical region of Turkey. It is in the Nevsehir Province in Central Anatolia. The Göreme National Park (Goreme Milli Parklar in Turkish) was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985. The first period of settlement within the region reaches to Roman period of Christianity era. Among historical sites are Ortahane, Durmus Kadir, Yusuf Koc and Bezirhane churches in Goreme, including Tokali Kilise, the Apple Church, houses and shafts engraved from rocks.
A fairy chimney is a conical rock formation, typically found in the Cappadocia region of Turkey. It consists of a cap of hard rock resting on a cone-shaped pinnacle of softer rock. In Cappadocia, houses have been carved from these formations, and they make a popular tourist destination.
The open air museum is about 2km from the town of Goreme itself and you can comfortably walk it. Walking in Cappadocia is usually fun anyway. As you approach you will pass the coachpark on your right, complete with its row of souvenir shops, and on your left the buckle church, one of the finest examples of frescoes in the area. Entrance is included when you buy your ticket at the main gate so you will probably end up visiting it on the way out of the museum. Try not to forget it. It would be silly to give details of all the churches and rooms in the valley here as you could easily spend half a day wondering about and looking at them all. Basically what you will find is the remains of a monastic community who made their home in this valley. Most people are struck by the frescoes and the quality of these varies from excellent to very tatty. Keep an eye open for the strange symbolic decorations in some of the smaller churches and chapels. Bear in mind when buying your ticket that the Karanli church (recently restored and with the freshest frescoes) is not included in the price and will cost you an extra. Over the last 2 years or so an extensive protection programme has been put into place. The churches are very prone to erosion and to prevent this they are slowly being covered with a resilient artificial surface designed to halt their gradual destruction. This looks kind of weird at first glance but it makes sense.
Zelve, is on the Goreme - Avanos roadway after Urgup. It has been settled at abrupt and north outskirts of Ak Hill with distance of 1 km from Pasa Bonds. The Zelve Oren Place formed from three valleys is the place having the most intensive chimney rocks formed in the volcanic tufas. The chimneys rocks from the valley are with sharpen ends and large trunks. Furthermore there are many settlements places in the volcanic tufas used for hiding by the first Christians trying to escape from the Roman soldiers. In these settlement places there are many abbeys and churches. The church named Direkli Church from the outskirts of the valley belongs to the first years of abbey life from Zelve. The relief crosses preferred in the trimmings of the churches are mostly iconoclastic. The most important churches of the valley are Balikli, Uzumlu and Geyikli Churches dated before this period. In the valley other than the churches there are found accommodation places, tunnel opened to the two valleys, mill, mosques and dovecotes.
