The top point of Cappadocia, Nevşehir, Uçhisar: Location, History and Attraction points. Which are the popular hotels in Uçhisar?
Let’s look up from the top to Cappadocia, a civilization valley that created with nature and as well as the history. You can feel the symphony of eagle owls accompanied magic of fairy chimneys and take a photograph like a postcard of Cappadocia from the Uçhisar, where the stars are close enough to touch and where the sun rises and sets as if speaking.
Uchisar is known as involved in the list of ‘Places to visit before die’ with its valleys, its stone houses in streets that witnessed the history and Uchisar Castle, which is located in Cappadocia, Nevsehir. The visuality and historical wealth have increased the value of village and so Uchisar became the densest region with its the luxurious and boutique hotels.
Location of Uchisar
Uchisar, founded in the region known as ‘Silk Road’ in Seljuk era and ‘King Road’ in Persian era, is located in 6 km East of Nevsehir, 12 km west of Urgup and 10 km south of Avanos. Also, it is located at the foothills of a mountain 40 km high from where you first started to see the fairy chimneys. Every year millions of people from all over the world visit this cute town Uchisar, which is famous about its wine houses, carved stone houses and its tandoori.
History of Uchisar
Although it is not known when the settlement in Uchisar started and who were the first arrivers, is the first gate for people who comes to Cappadocia. The oldest recognizances belong to the polished stone and Neolithic period that founded in the excavation of Aşıklı and Topaklı Mound. Also, the first written tablets of Anatolian which belongs to the Hittite and Assyria, found in Acem Mound and Kultepe. Uçhisar, which has a place in the history of Cappadocia, become both defending area and observation tower for underground cities and with its castle that chosen for hiding by first Christians.
When the era of Anatolian Principalities came, the region called as ‘Ucasar’ in the folk language since it was the Seljuks and Karamanoğulları in the east and Kadı Burhanettin Principality in the west. Three fountains, remained from Seljuks era, bear traces about settlement of Uchisar at those years. The water of the fountains was brought by pipes from 3 km away Mount Gemil and little pools were built to provide cleaning and resting of water. Uchisar joined Ottoman borders in the period of Yıldırım Bayezid in 1398.
Places to Visit in Uchisar
Uchisar Castle
You will have hundreds of step up to arrive the top but when you arrive, you will think ‘It is really worth it!’ and embrace clouds at the end of Uchisar Castle, where is the most windy and the highest point of the Nevsehir. We strongly recommend you if the time is close to the sunset, do not miss the scenery of fairy chimneys painted in the red of the sun and the color spree reflected from the valley. Uchisar Castle also called as ‘The eye of the Cappadocia‘ and probably the reason is that showing the entire region from the snowy head of the Mount Erciyes, which is the highest mountain of Anatolian, to the Mount Hasan. Since this castle which is used by the first Christians to hide and defense while they were escapeing from Roman oppressions, it also used as an observation tower in Seljuks period.
The majesty of Uchisar Castle, which resembles multistorey and multi-windows skyscraper of city life, stems from the silhouette occurred by inserting two-pointed fairy chimneys almost 100 m high when measured from the north. The little one of fairy chimneys called as ‘Cavusin Castle’ and the big one ‘The Aga’s Castle’.
Besides the top of the castle offers a spectacular view, it also provides you a chance to touch the history. You will encounter the water cisterns and carved graves and imagine a war scene with stone cannon swinging over the enemy. In the interior with stairs there are many rooms, cellar, shelter and warehouse that have marks for how people lived in those years. The castle was home for people with its carved rooms until 1950’s and used almost 1000 years.
Tığraz Castle
Tığraz Castle is the second highest castle of Uchisar, and founded on the hillside that descending to the ground of the Guvercinlik Valley. It built with seven floors from the hillside to the ground as to be inspire today’s architecture. There are rooms that used as home, cellar, warehouses and tunnels that forming the veins of Cappadocia in the interior also presents a good view from outside, for people who ask how an underground shelter can be built on the hillside.
Kuran Castle
Kuran Castle is special for Muslims and it is actually a collecting area. The castle, was named after from the documents such as prayers, books and documents written in Arabic (it is said some of them are amulets) in the previous times, and they were thrown away from the conic fairy chimneys in order not to disrespect religion. Everything collected was lost in time and a magical fairy chimney which still protects the mysteries of its secrets was remained.
Karakale
Karakale (Blackcastle) is one of the attraction points in Uchisar. The castle was in a good condition until 1945 but now because of the villagers has ripped the stones, there are only rubbles that forms the base of the walls. Many tombstones, which marked with cross, were broken in the western part that supported by towers. The Southern wall remained as the strongest part of the castle. The ceramics obtained from the surface’s age is dated back to late period of Roman-Byzantium.
The construction, which is known as Karakale presumably because of its black color, defies time with its glory and present a different volcanic formation with its hat that is uncommon in the region.
Guvercinlik Valley
If you have enough time to explore all of Cappadocia, we recommend you trekking in Guvercinlik Valley, covering an area of 4 km. Guvercinlik Valley has 2 entrance, one from Uchisar Town and the other from out of the southern from Goreme. If you think trekking is a good idea, prefer to go from Uchisar to Goreme since the road is downhill. You can watch the best scenery of the Uchisar Castle, which stays with its majesty on the western, from the tea garden on this side of the valley. Also, you can see the pigeon nests which is mentioned with valley on the eastern. While walking with the flapping of doves, you will encounter both the rich vegetation of valley and the 15-meter-high waterfall, flows through the valley and the small river known as ‘Vasil Stream’. When you arrive the middle of the valley, you will meet the Yellow Castle from the Byzantine period.
Pigeons were fed until 9th century in the valley. The fertilizers that remained from pigeons’ nests in the carved stones was used at the vineyards, and the eggs of pigeons was used as plasters to repair and revive the colors of frescos. According to what is said, the watermelons and melons of the little fruit gardens in the valley, takes their tastes from these fertilizers. In the nests abandoned by the pigeons, pale ornaments and hatching places from the artist still remain. The reason of why the valley identified with pigeons, is not only the burrows but also the view which reminiscent the body of a pigeon with its snow white and light pink colors of the rocks.
It is said that there was a hidden cavity that is only known by pigeons at in the northwest slope of the Guvercinlik Valley, which is located between Uchisar and Goreme. According to rumor, the entrance of this cavity has adorned with light red color ornaments. Also, the other rumor says that there is a pigeon colony lives in a cavity and reaching here can be possible only with a person enters one of the ruins and creeps through a dark and narrow tunnel. It is said that the fertilizers of these pigeons, which is wild and not to be fed by humans, can revive the most arid desert. Such that, when a person drinks the wine of a grapevine, which is grown with these fertilizers, blow one’s mind and when it sobers up it does not want to leave the land.
If you want, you can wander this beautiful valley in Cappadocia, the land of beautiful horses, by on the horseback. Don’t leave from Cappadocia without watching the soaring Cappadocia balloons on the sky and the emitted redness at the sunset and taking a photograph in the shadows of the trees adorned with evil eye beads.
Goreme National Park
Goreme National Park is officially approved by being added to the UNESCO World Heritage List with its visual feast and the universality of its atmosphere that created. The fairy chimneys, which is one of the most interesting places in the world and was being home for the first Christians at 7th and 13th centuries are presenting a quiet and crowded city in Goreme Valley between Mount Hasan and Mount Erciyes. The shape of the tuffs spreading from mountains with the wind and erosion over time made each fairy chimney an artwork. The churches of the first Christians that built by carving into the rocks and the wall paintings in these churches are really worth it to see. The wind in the valley blows warm in winter and cool in summer to say ‘welcome’ to visitors.
Cevizli
Cevizli, which is known as ‘the stream of fairy chimneys’, is located just below to Uchisar Castle and looking from its northern. Like Guvercinlik Valley, it is one of trekking routes for those who want to hike. Like a residence’s region, it created by carving into fairy chimneys that each of them is reminiscing a multistorey apartments. These cavities transformed to the little pensions visited by visitors who explores the area, to cafeterias for drink a tea or coffee and resting, and to souvenir shops. Sapkali Castle and Castle of Partridge are among the attraction points in Cevizli.
Hotels in Uchisar
Uchisar has become one the best place for accommodation in Cappadocia with its architecture, which is shaped with history, restored by modern touch. All luxury and having the international standards hotels of Cappadocia are in here.
Argos in Cappadocia
Located in Uchisar, Argos in Cappadocia is one of the best 30 hotels in the world, which consists of mansions that located gradually down the slope, is restored as to reflect the spirit of Cappadocia with its authentic decorations and its high comfortable facilities. Each mansion is connected to each other and to vaults that preserved the special wines produced with Cappadocia grapes with tunnels from underground cities. Guests who come to say ‘good morning’ to Erciyes and to watch the white color of the unique valley in front of them are mostly travelers looking for comfort and luxury.
Taskonaklar Boutique Hotel
Taskonaklar has become one of the most beautiful hotels of this region, thanks to the restoration of historical stone houses and caves at the western of Guvercinlik Valley. You can watch the greatness of the history of Erciyes and deep silence of the valley from your room’s terrace and you can feel the comfort of architecture made by master hands. Each room in Taskonaklar has a different and mystical story. They restored the architecture with in faith to the original and protect all details. You can reach the Guvercinlik Valley from Taskonaklar just in 5 minutes by walk.
Takaev Cave Hotel & Guest House
The hotel, which shows the scenery of the Guvercinlik Valley like a postcard, offers a different accommodation experience with its comfortable 7 rooms with capacity of 25 guests. Such that, it has an international prize with its features in 2014. It offers home comfort by its name but it’s a cave house. You will wake up as if waking in different periods of history in the terraced and stone vaulted rooms and you will not forget the tastes of cuisine and, you will also remember Uchisar with this hotel.
CCR Hotel & Spa
CCR Hotel & Spa is located at the Uchisar, the highest point of the Cappadocia, turns the cultural travel into a beautiful dream that will be remembered always with its panoramic view of Guvercinlik Valley, Avanos, Goreme, Ortahisar. The location of the hotel is very close to Goreme Open Air Museum. From almost all rooms, you will enjoy the view of the flying balloons on the sky at the morning and get rid of all your tiredness with massage after valley walking.
Museum Hotel
Museum Hotel reflects the Cappadocia like a museum with its all mystical and authentic features. Like all Cappadocia hotels, it has panoramic view of Uchisar, and it presents the organic and unique tastes. You will fill your glass with red or white vine from wine fountain with the voice of cracking fireplace and you will dive into magnificent scenery.