Çavuşin

Çavuşin sits at the foot of a cliff face on the road between Göreme and Avanos, and the old village is cut into that cliff - houses, dovecotes and storage chambers stacked up the rock, largely abandoned after rockfalls in the 1950s and 60s moved the residents to new houses on the flat below. High on the face is the church of St John the Baptist, one of the oldest in Cappadocia, reached by an iron stairway; its facade has largely fallen away, leaving the interior open to the valley, and traces of painting remain. Closer to the road is the Çavuşin church, sometimes called the Nicephorus Phocas church after the emperor, with a tenth-century fresco cycle in reasonable condition and far fewer visitors than Göreme's chapels. The village is the usual starting point for walking into the Rose and Red valleys, and the walk from Göreme through Zemi or over the ridge takes about an hour.

History

The village may have been called Kodessane in the early Christian era. Its older part lies on and around a great ridge of rock visible for miles, and in the early 1960s most villagers were rehoused nearer the main road for fear that their old homes might collapse; long overlooked by tourism despite Göreme next door, it gained hotels in the 2010s, many of them in the old village (Wikipedia, Çavuşin).

What's there

• The cliff village - abandoned cave houses up the rock face.
• The St John church - the high church with its fallen facade.
• The Nicephorus Phocas church - tenth-century frescoes near the road.
• The valley trailheads - routes into the Rose and Red valleys.

When to go

April to June and September to November. Late afternoon for light on the cliff and for walking into the Rose valley toward sunset.

Good to know

The stairway to the high church is steep and exposed. Much of the old village is unstable and fenced. Facilities are a couple of cafés on the road. Frescoes are worn and lighting is natural only.

Nearby

Göreme is three kilometres south; Zelve, Paşabağ and Avanos are north.

Key facts