Helvadere and the Slopes of Mount Hasan

Helvadere lies about 30 km south of Aksaray, on the western slope of Mount Hasan at around 1,350 metres. Noticeably cooler than the city in summer, it is the starting point for climbs of Mount Hasan and a favourite picnic spot for locals.

The ruins of Viranşehir (Mokissos) right next to the town make Helvadere a place where nature and Byzantine history meet.

History

The ancient name of the area was Mokissos; under Emperor Justinian the city was renamed Justinianopolis. It gradually lost its importance and by the Middle Ages had become a small village called Hardaldere. In the 17th century Evliya Çelebi described it as a fertile village with an inn, a bathhouse and a mosque.

Known as Halvadara in the early 20th century, it became a town named Helvadere in 1968. Its economy is agricultural, with potatoes, apples and cherries as the main crops.

What to see

Many Byzantine church ruins known by local names surround Helvadere. The most important is the Kemerli Kilise at Viranşehir.

• Kemerli Kilise (“Arched Church”, formerly Holy Trinity or St George)
• Yardıbaş, Süt (“Milk”), Bozboyun, Çukurkent and Tepe churches
• Sarıgöl, Kale (“Castle”) and Kara (“Dark”) churches
• Ruins of the Seljuk-period Karahan (Eshab-ı Kehf Han)
• Mount Hasan Ecotourism Area and Helvadere Forest Park

Getting there from Neva Apart

Neva Apart is in Aksaray city centre, a few minutes’ walk from the Zinciriye Madrasa and the Grand Mosque; the distances below are measured from our aparthotel.

Helvadere is about 30 km from Neva Apart, a 30–35-minute drive, with an hourly bus from the city centre.

Tips for your visit

Summer evenings in the town and forest park are cool; bring a light jacket. Cherries are in season in June–July and apples in autumn — buy fresh fruit from local growers.

Combine Helvadere with Çanlı Kilise for a half-day Byzantine route on the northern slopes of Mount Hasan.

Other places nearby

• Viranşehir (Mokissos / Nora) Ancient City – A Byzantine city at 1,500 m on the slopes of Mount Hasan, made capital of Cappadocia Tertia by Justinian, with 32 churches and 20 cisterns.
• Mount Hasan – A dormant volcano between Aksaray and Niğde whose 3,268 m summit makes it central Anatolia’s second-highest peak after Erciyes — the source of Cappadocia’s tuff and of Ihlara Valley.
• Çanlı Kilise and Rock-Cut Settlement – Near Akhisar village, a 10th–11th-century Byzantine church and a rock-cut settlement of courtyard mansions facing Mount Hasan.
• Aksaray Museum – Home to a 10,500-year-old skull bearing the earliest known brain surgery, the Ihlara and Çanlı Kilise mummies and the Luwian Aksaray Stele — 10,000 years of local history.

Sources

• Wikipedia – Helvadere
• Kültür Portalı – Hasan Dağı (T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı)

Image credits

• Mount Hasan seen from Helvadere – Minamie's Photo, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
• The foothills of Mount Hasan around Helvadere – Minamie's Photo, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons