Cappadocia attractions

Learn about Avanos’ rich pottery-making history in the underground Guray Museum. The innovatively designed museum—hidden away in the caves and tunnels beneath the Guray Ceramic showroom—is full of ceramic art and artifacts, from ancient Chalcolithic finds to modern masterpieces.

Cave hotels, cave churches, and a wall of crumbling cave homes make Cavusin (Çavuşin—say “cha-vu-shin”) a very atmospheric Cappadocian village. It’s divided into two parts: the old town, which was abandoned in the 1960s for fear of rockfalls, and the new village that replaced it. Hotels and cafés are springing up in the old town, encouraging travelers to stay awhile.

Famous for Ortahisar Castle, the castle-like rock formation that looms 295 feet (90 meters) above the town, Ortahisar—which translates to “Middle Castle”—sits at the heart of Cappadocia. Still largely overlooked by day-trippers and tours, the striking lookout point remains one of the region’s most underrated attractions.