Nevsehir

Area: 5.467 km2

Population: 289.509 (1990)

Traffic Code: 50

The Province of Nevsehir is one of the major cities of Cappadoccia Region and displays a beautiful combination of nature and history. The geographic movements had formed the fairy chimneys and during the historical development process, mankind had settled and inhabited these natural wonders, fairy chimneys and carved houses and churches inside these formations and adorned these settlements with frescos, carrying the traces of the thousands of years of their civilizations.

Districts: Nevsehir (center), Acigol, Avanos, Derinkuyu, Gulsehir, Hacibektas, Kozakli, Urgup.

Urgup

Urgup, 20 km east of Nevsehir, is one of the most important centres of the Cappadocia region. Like Goreme, it had numerous names in the course of its history, and its cave dwellings scattered around the village make it a very tourist-friendly destination. It has many hotels and guest-houses, good entertainment, old Greek houses from before the population exchange of 1923, and an atmosphere which has remained attached to its tradition despite a modernising tourist industry. It is a good base to explore the nearby Goreme Valley.

Climate From season to season, the climate is quite extreme. Summers are hot and dry, with warm nights. Winters are cold and it can even snow, while spring and autumn are mild. History With a geological structure of volcanic formations, Urgup was established within the region which had been shaped into fantastic forms known as 'Fairy Chimneys', through erosions of water and wind. The were formed as floodwater poured down the sides of the valleys, combined with strong winds which tore away the softer volcanic rocks, resulting in this unique landscape. It is an important centre in Cappadocia, and has been known by many names: Osian (Assiana), Hagios Prokopios (Byzantine), Bashisar (Seljuk), Burgat Kaalesi (Ottoman) and finally Urgup, from shortly after the founding of the Turkish Republic.