Description of the attraction
The small settlement of Yurgup lies on the road that connects Kayseri with Nevsehir and Aksaray. The town is adjacent to a flat and slightly sloping plateau. It was founded at the foot of a mountain called the Peaks of Desires. The first mention of this city is reflected in old maps as Osianna. Yurgup is the second most important center of the Turkish region of Cappadocia, located in the central part of Turkey, about two hundred and eighty kilometers southeast of the capital Ankara, and about twenty kilometers from the regional city of Nevsehir. This settlement also excels in the production of wines. The annual international wine festival held here is widely known. The nightlife here is much livelier than other towns. Numerous bars and nightclubs offer services to suit all tastes. The city also has banks, restaurants, parks and playgrounds. Another attraction is the local carpet production.
The oldest houses rest on protruding rocks and sometimes hide between them. The dwellings are built of sand and pink blocks of local tuff and therefore almost completely blend in with the surrounding landscape. The roofs of these buildings are flat. They can be confused with square monoliths, which are separated from steep slopes by erosion.
Around the ancient city, whose houses are huddled in the valley below, there is a tourist village. It includes several modern buildings, built in the traditional style of the local architecture. A whole infrastructure has been created here due to the large influx of tourists, which includes special services and a museum. All these buildings perform a certain functional role, while not violating the harmony of the amazing landscape. The peculiar geological character and beautiful panorama of this area are in fact the main attraction of Yurgup and its surroundings. The vast spaces stretching around are interrupted by crevasses, in which tuff is mined for construction work.
Going to Yurgup on an excursion, you can see the Kebir mosque and the platform from which tourists admire a beautiful view of the city. There is also an opportunity to visit the city museum (it contains statuettes found in the vicinity of the city), walk in Temeni Park, and also visit the Seljuk tomb of Kylych Arslan. Some of Turkey's finest jewelry and antiques shops are located near the Kayseri Cad Museum.
Yurgup is the most developed and most visited tourist center of the region, both in terms of numerous tourist facilities and attractions. In some houses, carved into the rocks, people still continue to live. Stone carvings are also observed in the decoration of some hotels and restaurants. The new houses, built of carved stone, are quite organically woven into the surrounding landscape.
"Temenni tepesi" is the highest point of the city, where the tomb of the Seljuk sultan Kylych Arslan is located. This place is also very suitable for a bird's eye view of the city.
The resort recently opened the Gamirasu Hotel. This hotel is located right in the caves of a thousand years ago, where the monks of the Byzantine monastery once lived. The most expensive and comfortable hotel rooms are carved right in the cave. Economy-class chambers are composed of volcanic stone, just like these rocks. Hotel rooms maintain a pleasant temperature of about twenty degrees Celsius naturally throughout the year, because tuff is an ideal insulating material.
The Christian monastery is located not far from the hotel, whose servants can, by the way, marry couples who come to rest in Cappadocia. The Gamirasu Hotel is considered one of the most popular honeymoon hotels in the region.
If you have a soft spot for upscale hotels and fine dining, then Yurgup is the place for you. Wonderful nature and prime location in the heart of central Cappadocia make it one of the most seductive holiday destinations in all of Turkey.
