Ortahisar Attractions

The tiny village of Ortahisar some 10km/6mi west of Ürgüp lies at the foot of weird pock-marked tuff walls from which countless cave dwellings have been carved. An underground passage supposedly runs to the northeast to the Isa Kalesi fortified rock. Some of the churches in the village were used as barns but the walls are richly decorated with scenes from the Old and New Testament. Many of the caves are used as intermediate stores for lemons. About 1km/0.5mi from the town is the unspoiled Halas Deresi valley with its rock churches and a monastery for Armenian Christians.