Göreme Open-Air Museum - UNESCO Heritage in Cappadocia

Is Goreme Open Air Museum worth the hype? It's a beautiful valley with many cave churches adorned with frescoes and spectacular views. For those who don't mind the steep hill and the many stairs to reach the museum, we definitely suggest as the cave churches of the Open Air Museum of Goreme are the best preserved of Cappadocia.

There are multiple open air museums in Cappadocia, most of them monasteries from around the same time period, between 6th and 13th centuries after Christ. You may visit some of these other monasteries and find different styles of art or extreme seclusion. What you'll find in the Goreme Open Air Museum is a perfect example of what a Cappadocia monastery looked like.

Location & Accessibility of Goreme Open Air Museum

The Open Air Museum of Goreme is so close to the town of Goreme, we could say it's walking distance. The museum is located on the hillside, therefore visitors need to walk up a steep hill. The authorities made a new wooden stair pathway to make this climb easier.

The Open Air Museum is almost always included in the tour program so check if you have it in yours before you decide to do it on your own. For this museum, a guide or heavy reading before visiting is recommended, otherwise it might feel empty without all the details.

The admission ticket is updated every year in the distilled information section at the top of this page. Photography inside the churches and chapels is not allowed though you may take photos and / or videos outside the cave churches.

If you have walking difficulties, you might want to skip this one. The pavements have big gaps so the ground is very uneven. The hill is very steep and the museum overall is not wheelchair accessible.

History of Goreme Open Air Museum & The Here and Now

After the persecution of Christians ended in the era of the Emperor Constantine; St. Basil, the Bishop of Caesarea (ancient city only one hour away from the Cappadocia center) ordered the formation of monasteries following a new system. The monasteries were to accept the common folk and talk to them about the teachings of the Lord. This new system worked wonders and such monasteries were built all around Cappadocia and Asia Minor. This particular monastery housed more than 200 monks and nuns.

The ruins of the cave monastery is a museum now, so there is no official dress code. There are multiple cave churches, communal living areas of the monks and great views from the top of the monastery.

Don't Miss In Goreme Open Air Museum

Most of the cave churches in Cappadocia don't have the typical church structure. The Apple Church is an exception with its four columns and nine domes all carved on the tufa rock. It also has some of the best frescoes of Cappadocia.

If you're willing to pay extra, Dark Church has the best preserved paintings. You may buy the ticket at the entrance of the church itself.

Most people miss the Tokali Church which is outside the museum grounds. On the way down the hill, after the wooden stairs and on your right will be a set of stone steps that lead to a cave. That cave is the Tokali Church with its beautiful blue frescoes, a color that was difficult to obtain back in the 13th century.