Photo: Ludovic Courtès (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source 9 places to visit in the Avanos district of Nevşehir: Kızılırmak Riverbank, Avanos Pottery Workshops and Zelve Open-Air Museum. Plan your trip to Avanos with local food, practical tips and transport information.
Avanos is a district of Nevşehir province, located 18 km north of the provincial centre. It covers an area of 995 km², and its average altitude above sea level is 930 m. The district has numerous pottery workshops, and the tradition of ceramic making has continued since the Hittites.
The name of Avanos has changed throughout history: it was known as Zuwinasa in the Hittite period, Nenansa in the Assyrian period, Venessa in the Byzantine period and Evenüz in the Seljuk period. In Ottoman documents it appears as Avanoz, Enes and Evenez, and over time it took its present name.
The art of making pottery on the wheel has been practised in Avanos since the Hittites. The craft has survived to the present day, passed from generation to generation, from father to son. Avanos is among the settlements that are members of the European Ceramic Route, which aims to keep traditional ceramic production alive and promote it.
Avanos was known as Zuwinasa in the Hittite period, and pottery making in Avanos goes back to the Hittites. Avanos remained attached to Kırşehir province until 1954. Poets’ Street was established in 2018 by the Avanos District Governorship and Municipality. Avanos is among the members of the European Ceramic Route.
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Avanos has been a pottery centre since the Hittite period, making pottery for thousands of years from the red clay of the Kızılırmak. Experience can be gained at the potter's wheel in traditional workshops, and the Güray Museum displays a ceramics collection underground.
View on mapZelve, 5 km from Avanos, is a rock valley that was used as a settlement until 1952. The complex, made up of three valleys, includes rock churches, monasteries and dwellings. It lies close to Paşabağ (Monks' Valley).
View on mapA mound near the village of Sarılar in Avanos, where archaeological excavations are carried out.
View on mapA church in Avanos that operates in keeping with the Christian tradition.
View on mapTürkiye's longest river, the Kızılırmak, is an important geographical feature because of the fertile land it waters near Avanos.
View on mapA valley famous for its multi-headed fairy chimneys, containing some of the most impressive geological formations in Cappadocia. Monks' cells and chapels carved into the mushroom-shaped rock formations can be seen.
View on mapA street with statues and busts of 26 poets who shaped Turkish literature.
View on mapWhile you are in Avanos, you can also see the highlights of Nevşehir province. These places are in other districts.
Kebab cooked in clay jugs made in Avanos itself, combining the aroma of lamb and vegetables in the porous structure of the jug.
Prepared by boiling small hand-rolled dough pieces filled with minced meat. Served with a yoghurt and butter sauce. Prepared by local people on special occasions, this dish is a symbol of hospitality.
Prepared by baking locally grown pumpkin and serving it with tahini and walnuts.
One of the traditional foods made from grapes in Avanos district and its villages.
In Avanos, pottery has continued without interruption since the Hittite period (1800 BC). The red clay of the Kızılırmak provides an ideal raw material for pottery. This tradition, a candidate for UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status, is taught to visitors in the workshops.
The Hair Museum, located in the workshop of the potter Chez Galip, houses more than 16,000 samples of women's hair and has entered the Guinness Book of Records. It is regarded as one of the most unusual museums in the world.
The economy of Avanos is based on pottery, tourism and agriculture. Ceramic production and sales are the district's most important source of income. Carpet-making and handicrafts also contribute to the economy. Viticulture and fruit growing are traditional agricultural activities.
It is 18 km from Nevşehir and 10 km from Göreme. Nevşehir Cappadocia Airport is 45 km away and Kayseri Airport is 65 km away.
The nine highlights of Avanos are Kızılırmak Riverbank, Avanos Pottery Workshops, Zelve Open-Air Museum, Paşabağ (Monks' Valley), Sarıhan Caravanserai, Poets' Street, Çeç Tumulus, Cappadocia Church and Zank Mound.
Avanos Testi Kebabı, Avanos Mantısı, Kabak Tatlısı and Pekmez are the standout flavours on Avanos's tables.
Avanos is known for Avanos Çömleği and the Pottery Tradition. It is a product registered as a protected designation of origin with TÜRKPATENT.
It is 18 km from Nevşehir and 10 km from Göreme. Nevşehir Cappadocia Airport is 45 km away and Kayseri Airport is 65 km away.
Suggested visit length: 1–2 days. Best time to visit: spring and autumn (April–June, September–November).