Editing Cappadocia (section)

==Modern tourism==
{{see also|Rock-cut architecture of Cappadocia}}
[[Image:Dere Suites Cappadocia.jpg|thumb|left|Cappadocia is famous for traditional cave hotels.]]

The area is a popular tourist destination, as it has many areas with unique geological, historic, cultural, and religious features. Touristic Cappadocia includes four cities: [[Nevşehir]], [[Kayseri]], [[Aksaray]] and [[Niğde]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}

The region is located southwest of the major city [[Kayseri]], which has [[airline]] and [[Turkish State Railways|railway]] service to [[Ankara]] and [[Istanbul]] and other cities.{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}

The most important towns and destinations in Cappadocia are [[Ürgüp]], [[Göreme]], [[Love Valley, Cappadocia|Love Valley]], [[Ihlara valley|Ihlara Valley]], [[Selime, Güzelyurt|Selime]], Güzelyurt, [[Uçhisar]], [[Avanos]] and Zelve.{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}

Sedimentary rocks formed in lakes and streams and [[ignimbrite]] deposits that erupted from ancient volcanoes approximately nine to {{Nowrap|three million}} years ago, during the late [[Miocene]] to [[Pliocene]] epochs, underlie the Cappadocia region. The rocks of Cappadocia near Göreme eroded into hundreds of spectacular pillars and [[minaret]]-like forms. People of the villages at the heart of the Cappadocia region carved out houses, churches and monasteries from the soft rocks of volcanic deposits. Göreme became a Christian monastic centre in 300–1200&nbsp;AD. The Yusuf Koç, Ortahane, Durmus Kadir and Bezirhane churches in Göreme, and houses and churches carved into rocks in the Uzundere, Bağıldere and Zemi Valleys, all evidence Cappadocia as a centre of early Christian learning and are thus a place of pilgrimage. The [[Göreme Open Air Museum]] is the most visited site of the Christian monastic communities in Cappadocia (see [[Churches of Göreme]] and [[Churches of the Ihlara Valley]]) and is one of the most famous sites in central Turkey. The complex contains more than 30 carved-from-rock churches and [[chapel]]s, some having superb [[fresco]]es inside, dating from the ninth century to the eleventh century.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Demir |first1=Ömer |title=Cappadocia: Cradle of History |date=1997 |publisher=Azim Matbaacılık |location=16 |language=English|pages=19|quote=The Christians taking shelter in the valleys of Göreme because of Arab raids, named this place 'gor emi' meaning 'you cannot see this place'. The name was changed to Korama and then to Göreme. With its very interesting fairy chimneys and the rock-cut churches, the valley of Avcılar, 17 km from Nevşehir and 6 cm from Ürgüp, attracts travellers' attention. St Paul considered Göreme to be more suitable for the training of missionaries. There are about 400 churches in the vicinity of Göreme which was one of the most important centres of Christianity between the 6th and the 9th C, including churches found in and around Zelve, Mustafapaşa, Avcılar, Uçhisar, Ortahisar and Çavuşin.}}</ref>

The three main castles in Cappadocia are [[Uçhisar]] Castle, [[Ortahisar, Nevşehir|Ortahisar]] Castle, and [[Ürgüp]] Kadıkalesi (Temenni Tepe). Among the most visited underground cities are [[Derinkuyu Underground City|Derinkuyu]], [[Kaymakli Underground City|Kaymakli]], Gaziemir and [[Özkonak Underground City|Ozkonak]]. The best historic mansions and cave houses for tourist stays are in [[Ürgüp]], [[Göreme]], [[Güzelyurt]] and [[Uçhisar]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}

[[Hot-air balloon]]ing is very popular in Cappadocia and is available in Göreme. [[Backpacking (wilderness)|Trekking]] is practised in Ihlara Valley, Monastery Valley ([[Güzelyurt]]), [[Ürgüp]] and [[Göreme]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}
[[File:Goreme banner2.jpg|none|thumb|512x512px|Hot air ballons]]