The crown jewel of cappadocia - Göreme Open-Air Museum is one of the must-see places in Cappadocia. It’s located about a 30–40 minute walk from Göreme Town. While it’s possible to visit on your own, exploring the museum with a guide is highly recommended and adds great value to the experience. At the entrance, you’ll find ticket booths where you can purchase your entry ticket. As of 2025, the general admission fee is €20. Once inside, you’ll see eight rock-carved churches. The first is the Chapel of Saint Basil, followed by the Apple (Elmalı) Church, the Church of Saint Barbara, the Snake (Yılanlı) Church, the Church of Christ Pantocrator, the unnamed church ,the Dark Church (Karanlık Kilise), and the Sandal Church (Çarıklı Kilise). Beneath the Sandal Church, make sure to visit the refectory, which is the best-preserved dining area in the museum. Among all the churches, the best-preserved frescoes are found in the Dark Church. Please note that entrance to the Dark Church requires an additional ticket, which costs €6. It’s believed that the fresco painters and architects of the Apple Church, the Dark Church, and the Sandal Church were the same. Visiting the Göreme Open-Air Museum is a journey through the heart of Cappadocia’s spiritual and artistic history.

Spectacular, visit the dark church - Spectacular walk, visiting the caves, churches, is really an open pit museum. It is advisable to pay extra to enter the dark church. This church was a monastic complex built in the 11th century. It is a domed church, a main apse, two smaller ones. It is decorated with a Pantocrator and scenes from the New Testament such as the Nativity, the worship of the Magi, the first baptism, the last supper, the betrayal of Judas, the crucifixion and the resurrection. After the Turkish invasion she was used as a pigeon. The name of the church comes from a small oculus open to the narthex which lets through a small amount of light. This feature is what has preserved the color in the pigments and allowed them to survive the passage of time. Recommended.

Wonderful place - Place not to be missed. The rocks excavated to create nestled churches. Beautiful walk with spectacular views. Be prepared to take lots of photographs. At sunset the light is particular