Undoubtedly, Ürgüp and Göreme are the most visited areas in Cappadocia. Every year, they attract millions of visitors from various parts of the world. With their intriguing history and unique landscape, they are among Turkey's top tourism points of pride and indisputably the most memorable vacation spots in this part of the world.

If we go a little to the west from Ürgüp and Göreme, however, the town of Güzelyurt is equally astounding with its underground cities, some 30 rock churches and other ancient sites. Sadly, this small community is devoid of tourists in comparison, and therefore it does not receive the attention it rightfully deserves.

But, what does this small town have to show? Where should you go in Güzelyurt? Without further ado, let’s start our tour.

A quick overview

With a population of about 12,500 people, Güzelyurt is a small rural area located in southeastern Aksaray. Due to its landscape and historical sites, Güzelyurt can also be seen as a mini Cappadocia.

The town’s name, Güzelyurt, means "beautiful country" in English. Considering its natural splendor, unique landscape and copious historical spots, it would be quite accurate to say that Güzelyurt does everything to live up to its name. Even beyond its ancient sites, there are hundreds of deserted dwellings from the Ottoman and Greek eras that are scattered across the streets of the town. If you were to remove the cars, you would feel like you had been teleported back in time.

The town has four main spots to visit: Monastery Valley, the Red Church, the High Church and Gaziemir Underground City.

Monastery Valley

After Ihlara Valley, which we visited in a previous article, Monastery Valley is the second-biggest valley in Cappadocia that was inhabited by the early Christians. The "Little Ihlara," as it is informally known, is a 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) natural wonder where you’ll find 28 rock-hewn churches, only six of which can be visited, and two underground cities.

The history of Monastery Valley is pretty much the same as Ihlara Valley. Early Christians who were running away from violent Roman persecution settled here in the second century and lived secretly for hundreds of years. On account of its remoteness and isolated appearance, the Christians were able to practice their religion freely.

Due to the pandemic, the number of visitors has dropped drastically and most hotels here are currently closed. So when I arrived at around 1 p.m., the security guard told me that I was the first visitor of the day. For me, it was great because I had the whole valley to myself, but considering the ongoing pandemic, the thought of Turkey's crashing tourism income saddens me.

In a single article, it is not possible to write down all the attractions in Güzelyurt but here I'd like to share some of the notable spots you should not miss.