Cappadocia - the Open Air Museum at Goreme

It was overcast and a bit chilly when I woke the next morning. The receptionist ( who was a Japanese lady) had suggested that I walk the couple of miles out to the Open Air Museum instead of going on a tour.

It might be helpful to read the Wiki article about Cappadocia.

The main drag in Goreme with a drainage channel in the middle.

Yes, it is a tourist town but it is not as bad as some. A couple of days later, I found out why these quad bikes were lined up.

One of the coffee shops boasted that they had a barista from Sydney making their coffee. Traditional Turkish coffee can still be found but mostly you just get Nescafe if you ask for coffee.

The big attraction of course are the fairy chimneys which technically are called hoodoos. Several houses and hotels in Goreme are carved into the base of some of these chimneys.

It is a pleasant walk out to the museum.

Just before the museum near where the buses park is an arcade selling all sorts of typical Turkish stuff. Nobody bothered me too much.

The museum in the background. When I returned, some lady was being helped onto one of the camels. She appeared to be quite nervous.

The point of the museum is that you can go inside the various caves, many of which are former Christian churches.

There was quite a crowd of people and the Japanese seemed to be in the majority. This was uncrowded April, not May which is the peak of the season. I am so grateful I went to Turkey in April and not May.

In many of the caves you were not allowed to take photos to protect the wall paintings. In each of these caves there would be a guard huddled over an electric heater playing with a cell phone.

Tombs.

Getting into and out of the caves requires climbing many steps. Usually there is room for one way traffic only so it becomes a bit of a zoo with people trying to get in blocking people trying to get out.

A refectory table.

The Muslems typically obliterated the faces of these Christian paintings.

Across the road from the museum is the Tokali Church where extensive preservation work is taking place.

I strolled back into town.

These carpet shops were doing absolutely no business.

Yet another gate.

My hotel is the white building up the back, the Karadut Cave Hotel. I mention them because they served a really good breakfast which I would eat sitting next to the big glass window with a superb view over the town. The room was fine and the Japanese lady was very helpful.