Would you like to see the unique and amazing sacred sites, churches and monasteries hidden in the valleys of Cappadocia? A private Day Trip to Christian Churches in Cappadocia in Cappadocia will amaze you with historical buildings from thousands of years ago!
During a private tour you will see the magnificent St. John’s Church, in which rock paintings and many frescoes with the faces of saints are remarkably well preserved. You will visit one of the largest churches of the “Greek” period of the city of Sinassos, today’s Mustafapasha, the Church of Saints Constantine and Helena built in 1729.
You will explore the rock-cut monastery of Saint Nicholas, which consists of several churches. The magnificent Panjarlik Valley opens up before you, showing reliefs and extraordinary color palettes. Visit the valley’s main church, Panjarlik Church, carved into the mountain. Explore the Hallak Hospital Monastery complex. It is striking that the buildings were carved into the rock around the 11th century and were originally owned by a fairly wealthy and powerful family.
A trip to the Day Trip to Christian Churches in Cappadocia is a wonderful opportunity to visit the holy sites and enjoy the unique rock paintings of the churches!
Cappadocia Christian Churches Tour price is 50 Euro for adults, 30 Euro for children from 7 to 11 years old and for children under 6 years old free.
Please note that we have ‘no hidden costs’
You will be picked up from your hotel in a comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle and driven to your first stop – St. John’s Church. Then visit the Church of St. Constantine and Helena, St. Nicholas Monastery, Panjarlik Church and Hallak Hospital Monastery. At the end of the tour you will be returned to your hotel.
Johanneskirche: Your tour begins with a visit to the two-story Church of St. John in the Gülşehir region , carved into the rock. The date of construction of the first level is unknown, but it is known that the second level was added in 1212. In 1996, the Turkish Ministry of Culture restored the church. The first floor of the church is in the shape of a cross, which housed living quarters, water channels, a winery and tombs. As you climb to the second floor, you will see a stunning warehouse with ancient rock frescoes in shades of red and yellow, perfectly preserved to this day. On the walls and ceiling you will see murals depicting scenes from the New Testament, which are very rare in Cappadocia’s churches.
Church of St. Constantine and Helena: Next, see the ancient Greek Church of St. Constantine and Helena in the village of Sinassos, now called Mustafapasha. The church was built in 1729 and rebuilt in 1850. It serves as a small museum and sometimes as a concert hall. The museum tells about the Greek history of the village and its inhabitants. The facade of the church will amaze you with its beauty, imposing columns support the building, and on the pediment at the entrance there is an image of an angel and lines from the Bible. This is the only church in Cappadocia where Orthodox services are held with the permission of the authorities. Once a year, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch comes from Istanbul to celebrate Mass. You will feel the sacred atmosphere that will take you back centuries,
Church and Monastery of St. Nicholas: Then visit the most impressive church and monastery of Saint Nicholas, built in the rock in the 8th – 9th centuries. The entrance to the complex is adorned with a massive stone gate surrounding the building. Inside, on the walls of the monastery itself, you can see a preserved icon of St. Nicholas of Myra and several other saints. In 2012, another reconstruction of the monastery took place, the builders restored the original appearance of the portico using 20th-century photographs, and the outer wall of the sanctuary is now decorated with icons from Greece. Explore the well-preserved “fairy chimneys” featuring a classic domed courtyard and graveyard surrounded by utter stillness and mysticism. If you climb the stairs to the dovecote building,
Panyarlik Church: Then visit Panzharlik Church or so-called Beet Church, located in Panjarlik Valley, which means Beet Valley due to its light burgundy relief. The gate carved in the rock leads you to the inner courtyard, behind which there is a building. The church is like a cone of a “magic chimney” made of volcanic tuff. Because of its remote location in the countryside, it has avoided significant damage to churches in more populated areas. You will be amazed by the church’s ceiling, which features well-preserved frescoes and beautiful paintings in rich red-green tones.
Hallak Hospital Monastery: Next, head to the magnificent Hallak Monastery complex, situated in a tranquil valley. Your gaze will be drawn to a gigantic building, a whole courtyard complex with large halls and a spacious cave church. The building dates back to the 11th century and originally served as an elite residence for a wealthy family. Over time, the Byzantine Christians turned this building into a monastic complex for spiritual and economic reasons. On one of the walls of the monastery you can see a human figure, unique and the only one in Cappadocia carved on the wall. A strange spider-human figure “wears” a tunic and a pointy hat, the story of its origin is unknown. You will feel all the power and Christian spirituality
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