From Ihlara Valley to Seljuk caravanserais, starting at Neva Apart
Yaprakhisar Fairy Chimneys
At the northern end of Ihlara Valley between Selime and Belisırma, tuff cones with rock-cut rooms and a quiet Cappadocian village on the Melendiz.
Yaprakhisar is a village in Aksaray’s Güzelyurt district, about 35 km from the provincial centre. It lies in the northern part of Ihlara Valley, between Selime and Belisırma.
Its tuff cones and rock-cut rooms are one of the easiest places in Aksaray to see Cappadocia’s famous fairy chimneys — a quiet photo stop far from the crowds of Göreme.
How fairy chimneys form
Layers of ash and tuff erupted by Mount Hasan and neighbouring volcanoes have been eroded by wind, rain and floodwater for thousands of years. Where a harder cap rock protects the soft tuff, erosion is slower and cones or capped pillars — “fairy chimneys” — remain.
Because tuff is so easy to carve, Yaprakhisar’s cones, like the rest of Ihlara Valley, were hollowed out over the centuries into shelters, dovecotes and storerooms.
What to see
The village road offers views over the tuff cones and the valley. Records show the village has carried its present name since 1926.
- Tuff cones with rock-cut rooms
- Viewpoints over the northern mouth of Ihlara Valley
- The Ziga thermal springs within the village lands
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.
Yaprakhisar is about 37 km from Neva Apart via the Aksaray–Ihlara road, a 35–40-minute drive — continue a few kilometres south past Selime Cathedral.
Tips for your visit
Do not climb on the cones; tuff crumbles easily and is slippery. Sunrise and sunset side-light shows their texture best.
Combine Yaprakhisar with Selime Cathedral and an Ihlara Valley hike on the same day. See our Aksaray itineraries for the suggested order.
Other places nearby
- Selime Cathedral and Rock Monastery – At the northern end of Ihlara Valley, a rock-cut monastery with a three-aisled cathedral, kitchens and stables — one of the largest religious buildings in Cappadocia.
- Ihlara Valley – A 14 km canyon carved by the Melendiz River into the tuff of Mount Hasan, with frescoed rock-cut churches, a green valley floor and Aksaray’s best-known hiking trail.
- Belisırma Village and Riverside Restaurants – Halfway along Ihlara Valley, with riverside restaurants on the Melendiz, rock-cut churches and a name it has carried since 1476 — the hikers’ rest stop.
- Aşıklı Höyük – Central Anatolia’s first known village, lived in by 30–35 generations between 8200 and 7400 BC: early farming, terraced mud-brick houses and the earliest known brain surgery.
Sources
Image credits
- Tuff cones below the volcanic plateau near Yaprakhisar – Volker Höhfeld, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Yaprakhisar and the northern mouth of Ihlara Valley seen from Selime Castle – Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Frequently asked questions
Other places nearby
Ihlara Valley
A 14 km canyon carved by the Melendiz River into the tuff of Mount Hasan, with frescoed rock-cut churches, a green valley floor and Aksaray’s best-known hiking trail.
- By car: 40–45 min
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.
- By car: 35 min
Lake Tuz (Salt Lake)
Turkey’s second-largest lake: walk on a dazzling white salt crust in summer, watch flamingo colonies and sunsets, reached from Aksaray via Eskil.
- By car: 50–60 min