Cappadocia truly is an enchanting place. Of course, when we think of Cappadocia, we think about hot air balloons. And it’s definitely an activity that I recommend doing in the region, but there’s so much more to see. Let me tell you about the Rose Valley!
What Is The Rose Valley?
The Rose Valley (Güllüdere Vadisi in Turkish) is located in Cappadocia and is a great place to hike. There, the stones and geological formations are very colorful. Its name comes from the explosion of colors that cover the area at sunset and sunrise. Or from wild rose bushes. I heard both.
The Rose Valley is not a desert, there’s vegetation and you might even see wild flowers. Its landscape is quite peculiar: volcanic eruptions and erosion have sculpted the rock into conical shapes, rocky pillars and caves. It took over millions of years to obtain the beautiful site we can now observe. You might hear a funny name for these tall pillars: “fairy chimneys“. I absolutely love the poetry of this name! FYI: their geological name is “hoodoo“, but it’s less fun.
You can find this type of formation in other places. I have seen similar landscapes in France, in Ille-sur-Têt, and in Spain, in the Bardenas.
A Bit Of History
If you are impressed by the fairy chimneys, you might also be interested to know about the hidden caves. During the Byzantine era, the Rose Valley became as a refuge for early Christians who were trying to escape persecution.
The caves provided an ideal shelter for them and thus served as homes, monastic retreats and places of worship. These Christians carved out churches, chapels, and even monastic complexes within the soft rock. They also painted religious frescoes inside.
You can visit caves and monasteries in the valley, but also in other sites. For example, I explored the Derinkuyu underground city and Ihlara with my friends during a group tour. The first is, as its name indicates, an underground city. This is an interesting visit (unless you’re claustrophobic), but there are not many frescoes. However, in Ihlara valley, you’ll find some very nice decorated caves.
What To Do In The Rose Valley
Located between the towns of Göreme and Çavuşin, the Rose Valley is about 4 km long. It is not far from the Love Valley and the Pigeon Valley.
Inside the valley, there is an impressive network of hiking trails that you can follow to explore this captivating landscape. For my part, I booked a group hiking tour starting at 5pm with a guide and his dog. It was nice because it allowed us to hear some stories and interesting facts about the valley. Also, more importantly, I was able to look around me and absorb the beauty of the valley without having to look for the right path.
We saw several monasteries carved in the stone. The valley is called Rose Valley, but there is actually also a Red Valley, and the colors vary a lot, sometimes showing some green and yellow. This is amazing!
We crossed paths with people riding horses, and then with a wedding photo shoot.
Nearly at the top of the valley, we took a break on colorful benches and drank some fruit juice while waiting for sunset. Then, we walked to Sunset Point and just enjoyed the wonderful view!
To see more photos of Turkey, you can visit the gallery Turkey.
