Uchisar in Cappadocia is renowned mainly for two things; luxury hotels and the ugly Uchisar castle, the highest point in the region. On my first visit, I could not afford to stay in any of their hotels but heard Uchisar castle can be seen from miles away, gives off a wowing panoramic view of fairy chimneys and valleys in Cappadocia.
I set off from Goreme with my camera, my best walking shoes and a rucksack filled with bottles of water. To save money, I passed local buses and shops advertising Cappadocia car and bike rentals. I walked past pigeon valley to the top but never anticipated the high climb would get the better of me. Finally, about three-quarters of the way up the hill, I admitted defeat.
Determined not to have a wasted trip, I walked around Uchisar village instead. This decision was more fruitful than any view I could have snapped on my budget travel camera because I met some weird and wonderful characters. Moreover, it made my visit to Cappadocia even more special.
Exploring Uchisar in Cappadocia – Turkey
The streets and cobbled paths reveal some comical houses, and since Uchisar is a small village, Jandarma police it. At the end of the souvenir road was the quirky Jandarma cave station. Unfortunately, a young officer cleaning the entrance steps with grave determination didn’t seem to share my heightened enthusiasm about his place of work, probably because while it was a novelty for me, it was an everyday occurrence for him.
About 100 meters further and near the castle was Peri Café, inside a cave with six floors to choose from. The higher the floor, the better the valley view. With low ceilings, I constantly hunched over to prevent the mother of all headaches, and I could not pluck up the courage to use the toilet since I assumed it was a hole in the floor and not the European versions I strongly prefer.
Coming out of Peri Café and strolling along the road, I noticed a sign saying “My Old House. Entrance is free.” A man stood on the roof admiring the view, and another man who was the owner invited me to sit on the living room sofa under the garden tree.
Ignoring countless tourists that walked along, pointed at me, and laughed aloud, I took up the offer from the older man to see inside. While I wondered whether Cappadocia cave properties could legally have title deeds, the man said he had sold the one-bedroom house for a massive 160,000 Turkish Lira. Another wise investment I missed.
Returning to Uchisar Castle
I left Uchisar later that day with some beautiful holiday pictures and an impression of the Cappadocian village that time forgot and then returned three years later to stay in luxury Taskonaklar Hotel. That visit was in November, and Uchisar was like a ghost town, unlike Goreme, another town nearby. I should have seen it in peak summer, but this time getting to Uchisar castle was easy, and the Cappadocia guidebooks are right about the breathtaking views.
Uchisar Castle stands a staggering 60 metres high. Being visible for miles around, in olden days, the Cappadocian castle also gave residents views over surrounding landscapes so they could see any armies invading. The castle wasn’t just a fortress, though, because about 1000 people lived in rooms and tunnels.
After my tour, strolling around the streets led me to a small artist shop where the owner, who specialized in Ebru painting, said she would give me a lesson for 100 lira. As much as I wanted to try it, I felt she deliberately inflated the price because I was a foreign visitor to Cappadocia.
Even though I have returned to Cappadocia since then, I have not revisited Uchisar. I remember the castle, working horses and a smelly old camel called Suleyman seemed to take an instant dislike to me, but I’ve one memory from Cappadocia that stands out.
On a clear day, on the horizon, I saw the majestic Mount Erciyes in the distance. I saw it before when I visited Kayseri, but, on this occasion, it wowed me even more than before. On my bucket list now is to visit Mount Erciyes in winter for fantastic winter sports.
Further Reading
See the regional travel guides to read more about Uchisar in Cappadocia and other tourist attractions. With information about tours, hot air balloon trips, valleys, rock fairy chimneys, underground cities, open-air museums, and history, you can get more ideas for a beautiful journey to Cappadocia in Turkey.
Hi Natalie,
I am planning my first trip to Cappadocia and I came across your blog about Turkey just by coincident or even by fate. Your blog gives me so much inside… I already printed most of it and I have got a much better idea where to go to , what to see , what to expect and honestly I can t wait….. . will be there by mid of May .. picture myself wandering around holding the map with all your descriptions.. loL;;; brilliant…. save everything and write a book … will sponsor some pictures later on…
Birgit
yes. I was happy when i answered you, because i see first time such a blog.
hi
i live in germany but cappadocia is my dad´s village in Turkey. I can´t good english i just try to write; because you have very great post. we will go this jear again to holiday to Cappadokia, Göreme, Uchisar, Kayseri i love this environment. We have a house in Nevsehir. You can tell very emotional. You´re right it´s a place for a wonderful holiday. I´m sorry when i have speech impediment!
Merhaba Natalie, thanks for the post, Pam and I stayed in the Melis Cave Hotel whilst we were there, (very nice), you made us remember everything, the balloon flight was good and the scenery brill.
Wow, those caves(?) look really cool. What are they made out of? And why would they build it that way? Is there only one of the pyramid-looking cave or are they all like that? (going to check it out on Wikipedia now)
Nice write up. It looks like a cute small village with beautiful scenery.
Great post and wonderful pictures. We had thought about heading out that way for Bayram, but didn’t think the weather would be good for it. Guess we guessed wrong.
Don’t think we climbed the hill in Üçhisar either – I think I would have remembered! 🙂
Great pics. I was watching Michael Palin’s ‘New Europe’ on BBC Entertainment the other day and he was in Cappodocia in the snow. Looked amazing!
does that house have electricty
loved this – this is what travelling is all about. Finding the unique things that the world has forgotten that enriches our lives and challenges our senses. Enjoyed so much stumbled and retweeted it!
fabulous pic’s and story once again Nat what more can i say im realy enjoying your blog seeing it through your eyes makes me want to do it for myself even more looking forward to the next instalment
I stayed in Uchisar, at the Argos Hotel, with my group just a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the same opportunities as you to explore beyond the obvious as we were there for a short time and had a full schedule. However, I loved reading your descriptions and have made a note to explore on my own time next year!!