One of the interesting historic places in Cappadocia. The complex area was built on the path of rock mountain, you can see the study room, prayer rooms, cave rooms,… It s impressive structure what attracts you, when you climb to higher point, you can enjoy the beautiful views of the valley. I can just sit and enjoy the winds and views from there. Take about 30-40 for sightseeing and photographing. Be careful when you climb up and down, you need a good shoes for this place.

This is a unique cathedral. It used to serve as inn as well as a monastery. The view from this cathedral is also very unique. You can understand the history of this place without a guide too from the instruction boards located outside every room. You will need around 30 to 45 mins to cover this place. Be ready to climb a few stairs for the visit.

Selime Cathedral — Where Stone Whispers the Echo of Centuries At the very end of the Ihlara Valley, when the path seems to fade between dry hills and warm wind, an almost unreal sight appears: the Monastery of Selime, also known as the Selime Cathedral. Carved directly into volcanic rock, this vast structure feels more like a dream than something made by human hands. Walking through its corridors is like stepping into a world suspended between faith and survival. Centuries ago, Byzantine monks carved churches, kitchens, stables, and hidden passages into the stone. At its heart lies the “cathedral” — an enormous rock-cut church with columns sculpted from the mountain itself and faint frescoes that still cling to the walls. There’s a sacred silence in the air. Light filters softly through small openings, dancing across the worn surfaces. You can almost imagine the monks who once prayed here, the travelers who sought refuge, and the soldiers who later turned the monastery into a fortress. Every corner tells a story — even the shadows. From above, the view over the valley is breathtaking. The contrast between the blue sky, ochre cliffs, and human devotion etched into stone makes Selime Cathedral one of the most mysterious and hauntingly beautiful places in Cappadocia — a meeting point between nature and spirituality.

Selime Cathedral in Kayaaltı, Selime, near Güzelyurt in Aksaray, Turkey, is an impressive rock-cut monastery carved into the volcanic cliffs of Cappadocia. The surrounding landscape of fairy chimneys and valleys adds to its dramatic setting. A quiet, atmospheric stop that gives a real sense of Cappadocia’s historical depth.

Selime cathedral is in fact a complex structure that included a caravan passage, inn, cathedral, chapel, storage rooms etc. - a complete town in the rocks. This is the best preserve rock architecture we encountered in Cappadocia with eleborate rock carvings and frescoes, columns and tunnels from Byzantine period (8 thru 11 c.) The complex sits on the top of the hill and offers magnificent views over the valley. You can easily spent an hour there climbing all the tunnels and dead-ends and returning to the “red-arrow” route. For a speedy sightseeing either few pics and selfies 30 minutes may be enough.

I think it's worth driving past the Cathedral after visiting Ilhara Valley.. Most of the cave churches are similar. This one have quite alot of history so go with a local guide. The views from the Cathedral are spectacular!

Tucked at the end of the Ihlara Valley, Selime Cathedral isn’t just a historical site—it’s a cinematic descent into the sacred and surreal. Carved directly into the rock face, this 8th-century monastic complex feels like Cappadocia’s answer to Middle-earth: towering cave spires, echoing chambers, and stairways that spiral through centuries of devotion and defense. 🕍 From the cathedral’s vaulted ceilings to the monks’ quarters and stables, every crevice tells a story. The views from the top—over the valley and surrounding fairy chimneys—are breathtaking, especially in the golden light of late afternoon. ⚠️ Be ready for a bit of a climb and uneven terrain. Good shoes and a curious spirit are essential. And if you’re lucky, you might catch the wind whispering through the stone like a forgotten hymn.

Great place to go!

must visit

(Translated by Google) We visited on September 8th. A beautiful place to visit and see in Güzelyurt district of Aksaray, very close to the district center. Free parking is available at the entrance If your museum card is not valid, you can buy it for 60 TL. There is an underground city and a mosque inside, there is a spring water next to the mosque, which was converted from a church, you can go down and look there. There are many passageways in the underground city, we could only walk around some of them. They have illuminated certain parts. If you have time, be sure to stop by. There are other churches around. (Original) 8 Eylül tarihinde ziyaret ettik. Aksaray’ın güzelyurt ilçesinde gezilip görülmesi gereken güzel bir mekan ilçe merkezine çok yakın Girişinde ücretsiz otopark mevcut müzekart geçerli yoksa 60 TL’ye satın alabilirsiniz. içeride yeraltı şehri ve cami mevcut kiliseden çevrilmiş caminin yanında ayazma suyu var inip oraya da bakabilirsiniz Yeraltı şehrinde çok fazla geçiş yerleri var biz sadece bir kısmını dolanabildik belli kısımlarını ışıklandırmışlar Vaktiniz varsa uğrayın mutlaka. Etrafta başka kiliseler de mevcut.

(Translated by Google) Entry is free with a museum card. You can spend 1 hour to visit. Perfect. There is a sink next to the cafe across from it, it is free. Enjoy your visit. (Original) Müze kart ile giriş ücretsiz. 1 saat ayırıp gezebilirsiniz. Mükemmel. Karşısında kafe yanında lavabo var, ücretsiz. Keyifli gezmeler.

(Translated by Google) We stopped by because it was on our way back to Ihlara, and I'm glad we did. Within the valley are old Greek houses, a mosque converted from a church, a cistern, and a small underground city. Opposite these, there's an observation deck with ancient structures and churches, and the view is superb. A few kilometers further along the valley, by car, is another area with rock-cut structures. You can visit there too, but it didn't really interest us. You can enter with a museum pass. (Original) Ihlara dönüşü yolumuzun üzerinde olduğu için uğradık, iyikide uğramışız. Vadi içinde eski Rum evleri, kiliseden dönme cami, sarnıç ve küçük bir yer altı şehri var. Ayrıca bu saydıklarımın karşısında eski yapılar ve kiliselerin olduğu bir seyir terası var ve manzarası çok iyi. Vadi içinden araçla bir kaç kilometre devam ettiğinizde kayalara oyulmuş yapıların olduğu bir alan daha var isterseniz orayıda gezebilirsiniz, bizim pek ilgimizi çekmedi. Müze kart ile giriş yapabilirsiniz.

(Translated by Google) It's very beautiful, a must-see, close to Ihlara Valley. (Original) Çok çok güzel mutlaka gidilmeli ,Ihlara Vadisi’ne yakın

(Translated by Google) It smells of history. It's a wonderful place. (Original) Buram buram tarih kokuyor.. Harika bir yer

Atmospheric cluster of old buildings and an old church with a new stained glass window and little remains of ancient frescoes.

This is one of the bigger churches, and what's most impressive about the size is that it's entirely carved out of a rock. There aren't many frescos here, and it is a bit off the beat track, but that can sometimes be a good thing -- there were no other people around when I was there. There are some nice views from the roof of the church as well.

(Translated by Google) It goes uphill over different steps. We were all alone at the top. Bring drinks and sturdy shoes are an advantage (Original) Es geht, über verschiedene Stufen, bergauf. Oben waren wir dann ganz alleine. Getränke mitnehmen und feste Schuhe sind von Vorteil

(Translated by Google) At home and on site The Church of the Holy Anargiros The decorations date from the end of the 19th century (Original) Chez moi et sur place L' Eglise des saints anargiros Les decorations datent de la fin du 19 siècle

(Translated by Google) A beautiful old church in this area of ​​Cappadocia. Unfortunately, over the years and due to lack of maintenance, it's in very poor condition, but it's still worth seeing and enjoying. There are quite a few stairs to reach it. (Original) Una antigua iglesia preciosa en esta zona de la Capadocia. Desgraciadamente con el paso de los años y la falta de mantenimiento se encuentra en muy mal estado, aún así merece la pena verla y disfrutarla. Hay bastantes escaleras para llegar.

(Translated by Google) The church, also known as St. Anargirios, overlooking the entire valley, is located opposite the ruins in Güzelyurt, which can be accessed by paying a fee, and is accessed by climbing stairs. This was the church of doctors who treated patients without getting paid. The church was built by carving a monoblock rock. In the area where the church is located, there is also a monk's cell and the priest's house. If you climb the side stairs to the top of the church, you can also go up to the so-called panoramic balcony. (Original) Güzelyurt'da parayla girilen örenyerinin karşısında, merdivenlerle çıkılarak erişilen, tüm vadiye hakim Aziz Anargirios olarak da adı geçen kilise. Burası para almadan hasta tedavi eden hekimlerin kilisesiymiş. Kilise monoblok bir kaya oyularak inşa edilmiş. Kilisenin bulunduğu alanda ayrıca keşiş hücresi ve papazın evi yer alıyor. Yandaki merdivenlerden kilisenin üstüne çıkarsanız panoramik balkon denilen yere de çıkabiliyorsunuz.

(Translated by Google) Although climbing the stairs was a bit difficult, it was worth seeing this church built into the rock. There is also a viewpoint a little higher up, which is a beautiful place overlooking the view. (Original) Merdivenle çıkış biraz zor olsa da kayanın içine yapılmış bu kiliseyi görmeye değerdi. Ayrıca biraz daha yukarisinda bakı noktası bulunuyor manzaraya hakim güzel bir yer.

(Translated by Google) It had very nice and delicious food. It was run by gastronomy department teachers and they did it justice. The place was nice, high up, under the trees, in the open air, in nature, it was a pleasant place. (Original) Çok güzel lezzetli yemekleri vardı gastronomi bölümü hocaları işletiyormuş ve hakkını veriyorlar. Mekan güzel yüksek bir yerde ağaçların altında açık havada doğada keyifli bir mekan olmuş

(Translated by Google) I recommend you to go, the road is beautiful, the people are friendly. The security guard gentleman is very polite. After visiting this place for a 20TL ticket, you can see the monastery valley underground city and other churches with the same ticket. (Original) Gitmenizi öneririm yolu güzel, halkı sevecen. Güvenlik görevlisi beyefendi çok kibar. 20tl bilet karşılığında burayı gezdikten sonra aynı biletle manastır vadisi yeraltı şehri ve diğer kiliseleri görebilirsiniz.

(Translated by Google) It is on the right side when coming from Aksaray at the entrance of Güzelyurt district. It is visible from a distance and people look at it with curiosity and try to understand what it is. When we went it was around 18:00 and it was closed. We did not have the opportunity to go inside. (Original) Güzelyurt ilçesi girişinde Aksaray tarafından gelirken sağ tarafta kalıyor. Uzaktan görünüyor ve insan merakla bakıp ne olduğunu anlamaya çalışıyor. Biz gittiğimizde saat 18:00 a geliyordu ve kapalıydı. İçerisine girme imkanımız olmadı.

(Translated by Google) The label here is wrong. You need to go to the label located by Güzelyurt lake. You have to proceed on an old and slightly rough asphalt road, about 1 km inland from the main road. (Original) Buradaki etiket yanlış. Güzelyurt gölü kenarında bulunan etikete gitmeniz gerekiyor. Ana yoldan 1 km kadar içeride, eski ve biraz bozuk bir asfalt yoldan ilerlemeniz gerekiyor.

(Translated by Google) I would appreciate it if you liked the comment to support me in helping you better with such comments. It's definitely a place to visit. When you look from above, the view of Güzelyurt pond and the historical houses of Güzelyurt in the background are magnificent. (Original) Bu gibi yorumlarla size daha iyi yardımcı olmamı desteklemek için yorumu beğenirseniz sevinirim. Mutlaka gezilmesi gereken bir yer. Yüksekten baktığınızda Güzelyurt göletinin manzarası ve arka planda Güzelyurt tarihi evlerinin manzarası muhteşem.

(Translated by Google) We couldn't go in and visit it, but it is artistic. (Original) Girip ziyaret edemedik ama sanatsal.

(Translated by Google) A historical must-see location (Original) Tarihi görülmesi gereken bir konum