Photo: Hüseyin Öcal (CC BY 3.0) · Source 6 places to visit in the central district of Nevşehir: Nevşehir Castle, Damat İbrahim Paşa Complex and Nevşehir Museum. Plan your trip with local food, practical tips and transport information.
Nevşehir lies in the middle of Central Anatolia, at the heart of the Cappadocia region. It covers an area of 574 km², and the average altitude of its centre is 1,194 m above sea level. Millions of years ago, the soft tuff layers formed by ash and lava erupted from the Erciyes, Hasan and Göllü Mountain volcanoes were shaped by wind, rain and the erosion of the Kızılırmak into fairy chimneys and deep valleys.
Cappadocia’s Heritage
From the 4th century onwards Cappadocia became one of the important centres of Christianity. Monks and communities carved hundreds of rock churches and monasteries into the valleys around Göreme, Zelve and the surrounding area. The 10th- to 12th-century frescoes of the Dark Church, Elmalı Church and Tokalı Church in the Göreme Open-Air Museum are among the masterpieces of Byzantine painting. Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.
Nevşehir City
Today’s city of Nevşehir developed when the 18th-century grand vizier Nevşehirli Damat İbrahim Paşa, who was born in these lands, redeveloped the village of Muşkara and gave it the name ‘new city’. Nevşehir is one of Türkiye’s most visited tourist areas, with hundreds of hot-air balloons filling the sky at sunrise.
History and Culture
Damat İbrahim Paşa, the grand vizier of the Tulip Era, built the complex in 1726–1727.
Last updated: