Selime Güzelyurt is one of the places with unique beauties in Cappadocia. Visitors can have a pleasant time with its unique nature as well as being intertwined with history. They can spend peaceful time in the quiet embrace of nature. It is a place that must be visited by those who want to relax in a quiet, calm and peaceful place.
Selime is a region that attracts attention with its unique features, which hosts thousands of tourists every year. It is located just at the end of the Ihlara Valley. Selime village, which is decorated with many fairy chimneys on a steep slope, contains a cathedral. Selime Sultan tomb is also located here. The tomb belongs to the Seljuk Period. Selime Sultan tomb gave its name to the village where it is located. The castle was built carved into the rock. Selime region is one of the most important regions that host history.
Güzelyurt is approximately 15 km away from Ihlara valley. It is also 45 km away from Aksaray. It has become one of the most important regions of Cappadocia with its natural beauties witnessing history. The influence of Gregorius of Naziandos clergyman is high in being such an important region. He was a clergyman who worked for the spread of christianity in ancient times.
The region has embraced many different churches. These are the churches named Yüksek church, Silvişli church, Kızıl church, Koc church, Ahmatlı church. These are churches, each of which is worth seeing and has its own unique features. Everyone who visits the region should definitely see these churches. In addition to these, there is a building that was used as a church in 1891 but is now used as a mosque. Güzelyurt, which is the apple of the eye of Cappadocia, hosts each historical texture.
When you go to Cappadocia, Ihlara valley is a cathedral that will come across people at the end. Selime Monastery welcomes 300 thousand tourists on its own. Those who will create a Cappadocia trip should definitely add it to their travel list. The region is visited by both domestic and foreign tourists. The largest monastery of Cappadocia, which is connected to the Güzelyurt district of Aksaray province, is located in the town of Selime. Domestic and foreign tourists coming to the region see the fairy chimneys, which are different from each other and have unique beauties. Visiting the Selime monastery is at the top of the list of things to do in Selime. Christians built many churches during the Roman period. They continued to build the Carved church. They also perform their prayers in these secret areas where they live. Selime Monastery, which later became a home for the Seljuks, served as the main fortress in the Mongols’ attacks on Anatolia. The town is decorated with fairy chimneys. Those who come to visit this place can encounter many fairy chimneys. Nearly 100 places carved on the rock attract tourists. It receives approximately 300,000 visitors a year. This place, where the crowd never ends and which has unique beauties, should definitely be visited and seen. The Selime Sultan tomb is located opposite the Selime Monastery. This tomb gave its name to the town in the same way, and the name of the region was Selime. You can easily visit the tomb after the cathedral tour without the hassle of the road. Selime monastery may be one of the most important places in Cappadocia as of its history. Selime town has seen Roman, Seljuk, Hittite, Persian, Asus, Byzantine Danishment and Ottoman States. It is among the regions that must be visited with its multi-civilization history and rich culture. Traces of history are best seen here. Selime monastery also attracts attention with its historical texture. People of the Orthodox faith, while living here, unconditionally comply with all kinds of rules coming from the cathedral. This is an extremely sacred area for people of the Orthodox faith. Selime monastery is spread over an area of 14 km after Ihlara Valley. During the ascent to Selime cathedral, which is the most important work of Selime, a caravan route with camels can be seen before the visitors. The reason camels come here is a market in Selime. This area comes up to the middle part. Above the area, there is an area reserved for people to perform their prayers.
Selime Monastery architecture consists of city walls and positions. It was formed by carving the rocks and its upper part is in the form of a castle. The monastery played a role in the upbringing of many clergy. The first loud ritual was held in Selime monastery. The frescoes also draw attention in interior architectural features. There are figured frescoes in the building. Depictions such as the ascension of Jesus, Mary and the Annunciation are found here.
The kitchen in the cathedral is also quite remarkable. It was built in connection with the side rooms. It was built in the shape of a pyramid, and the places of the oil lamps were carved for illumination. The cathedral was built in two floors in total. It has a courtyard inside. In the past, the first sound ritual was performed in this courtyard. It is also said to have been used as a military meeting place.
People who want to visit the beauties in Selime ask questions about how to get to Selime. You can reach Selime town, which is connected to the Güzelyurt district of Aksaray, by going to Aksaray and proceeding in the direction of Nevşehir. It is 250 km from Ankara, 172 km from Konya and 674 km from Istanbul. In order to come to this town from Aksaray, it is necessary to proceed in the direction of Nevsehir. After 11 km, the Selime sign will be seen on the right. Selime is reached when you proceed straight on the road that can be reached by taking a turn. It is possible to go to the town with an individual vehicle. Since the roads are quite smooth, people can visit the region with their own private vehicles.
For those who will visit, where to eat and accommodation can create problems. For this, there are restaurants and hotels in the town. Those who will visit Selime cathedral can also taste local delicacies in the restaurants located here. Testi kebab, sheet pan and grill varieties can be tried. It is possible to eat in a restaurant located around the Melendiz stream.
For accommodation, there is a pension located near Ihlara valley. Those who want to stay in a place with greater facilities will need to arrange an accommodation in the center of Aksaray. Thousands of tourists visit here every year. Visits can be made in any season of the year. Summer months are much more suitable for enjoying these areas.
In order to enter the Selime monastery, you must first pay the entrance fee. The entrance fee to the monastery is quite cheap. People can enter the monastery with a museum card. In this way, payment convenience is created. Selime monastery can be visited during working hours. Different visiting hours can be created for summer and winter months.
Selime Monastery Cathedral
The church, which is the largest cathedral in Cappadocia, was built as a two-storey building and is estimated to have been built in the VIII century. century and XI. It is known that it was built between the centuries. Since we are now in the 21st century as 2023, we can say that Selime Cathedral is between 1200 and 1300 years old.
Selime cathedral You can reach Selime town, which is connected to the Güzelyurt district of Aksaray, by going to Aksaray and proceeding in the direction of Nevsehir. Selime cathedral defies years with its historical past and challenges years as the most historical place of Aksaray province.
