Turkey’s famed Cappadocia drew over 150,000 tourists this June
Colorful hot air balloons fly above the road to Göreme at sunrise in Cappadocia, Turkey. (Shutterstock Photo)


Turkey's picturesque Cappadocia region drew over 150,000 visitors this June, according to the latest official figures, thanks to COVID-19 safety measures.

A total of 150,282 domestic and international tourists came to explore the charming touristic hub in the central Nevşehir province, famed for its distinctive fairy chimneys, underground cities, cave hotels, and hot-air balloon rides, the Nevşehir Culture and Tourism Directorate said in a statement.

Visitors to Cappadocia have a host of attractions to choose from, including the famed Goreme Open-Air Museum, the archeology and ethnography museums in Nevsehir, Urgup and Hacıbektaş, the Zelve Ruins, the Gülşehir Open Palace Ruins, the atmospheric underground cities of Derinkuyu, Kaymaklı, Özkonak, Tatlarin and Mazi, the early Christian churches of Karanlık, El Nazar and Gülşehir St. Jean, and the Hacıbektaş Veli Museum and Hacibektas Atatürk House.

In June 2020, near the peak of the pandemic, around 17,000 domestic and foreign tourists visited the museums and ruins in the region.