Zelve Open-Air Museum - Rock-Cut Dwellings & Ancient Monasteries

Is Zelve Open Air Museum worth a visit? It's an abandoned village where people lived in caves for centuries. Zelve is the place to see nature, religion and every day life all at one location. It is also included in the ticket price of the famous Monks Valley (Pasabag) so be sure to stop by this abandoned village after you visit the fairy chimneys.

Location & Accessibility of Zelve Open Air Museum

The Open Air Museum of Goreme is in a valley between the towns of Goreme and Avanos. It is about 6 miles (10 kms) from Goreme. Zelve is easy to reach by car, scooter, or tour bus. Some guided tours around Cappadocia include Zelve as a stop, especially those covering Pasabag and Devrent Valley.

The admission ticket is updated every year in the distilled information section at the top of this page. Photography inside the caves are allowed but there are strict regulations against drone photography.

If you have walking difficulties, the first valley on the left is rather easy to reach. The third valley is where the monastery and the mosque is but to get there, you'll need to hike through the second valley first and then walk up some stairs.

History of Zelve & The Here and Now

Zelve was one of the oldest cave communities in Cappadocia. People began living here as early as the 9th century, possibly even earlier. It became a safe place for early Christians who were hiding from Roman persecution. Monks lived and worshipped here, carving churches and homes into the soft rock.

Unlike some of the more decorated cave churches of Cappadocia, Zelve was more about everyday life. Over time, the population grew and changed. Muslims also settled in the area and built a mosque and a small minaret. Life in Zelve continued until the 1950s, when the rock became unstable and dangerous. The government moved the last residents to a new nearby village called Yeni Zelve (New Zelve).

Zelve is an open air museum today where travellers can visit to see caves that were inhabited by people for hundreds of years.

Don't Miss In Zelve Open Air Museum

Zelve is a series of caves carved on the hillside of three seperate valleys. In the first valley on the left, you can visit the Fish and Grapes Church, the local mill and a winery.

In the second valley, there are some abandoned houses and communal storage areas. Along this trail, you can visit one of the cave churches of Zelve. Towards the end of the trail on your right will be some stone steps leading up to the hill. If you take those stairs, you will reach the third valley.

The third valley of Zelve Open Air Museum is the most interesting section. The entrance to the third valley is blocked from the center of the town as some huge pieces of rocks that rolled from the top the hill blocked the access. The only way to reach the third valley of Zelve now is to walk through the second valley and walk up the stairs on the right side.

There was a monastic community in the third valley and it can be seen from a distance. One of the few constructions of the Zelve settlement, the mosque, can also be visited in the third valley. At the end of the third valley are some decorated pigeon houses.