The rock monastery of Selime situated 28 km from Aksaray, Selime is a town that was established at the end of the Ihlara Valley. Selime Monastery is one of the largest religious buildings in Cappadocia, with a cathedral-size church. Inside the cathedral there are two rows of rock columns, these columns divide the cathedral into three sections. The size of the church is astonishing. The columns and arches of the church, cut directly from the tuff within the Selime monastery, still bear the tell-tale markings of various generations that once occupied it. Rudimentary icons from the early days can be seen more clearly, but detailed frescoes, painted later, are barely visible under the years of soot that covers the surfaces from when the Turks used the room for cooking, it also contains monks’ quarters, a large kitchen and even a stable for mules. The walls of the chambers were at one time adorned with frescoes but little of these remain. From the road there is a short but challenging climb up a steep and slippery hill to the monastery.
On the way up to the monastery, first you go through a tunnel-like corridor, which was part of the caravan path on which camels walked, the camel caravans came for a stopover as there was a large bazaar there, and for protection, camels were led to the central part of the monastery.
The top section has a fortress-like structure, the walls and trenches of which are still visible today. It also includes some secret passageways, a series of twisting, ever-steeper rock stairway-ladders. If you are adventurous enough, you can follow them, but the climb down can be a bit nerve-wracking but definitely worth the views. The monastery also has a courtyard, this was the section where important religious and military meetings were held.
Situated across the road from Selime monastery, surrounded by a cemetery, Selime Sultan Turbesi is another stop for visitors. It is a rare example of its type in Anatolia, as it is conical with an octagonal base. From the architectural style and materials used it most probably dates from the 13th century A.D.
Turkey is proving to have some of the coolest sights in the world. Climbing up the narrow rock trail and through the rock caves to get to the church is an experience in itself, from the mountain you can get a great view of the surrounding landscape that many say resembles a scene from a Star Wars movie. The landscape all over is so unique that may surprised you to discover no major movies had been filmed there. It would be the perfect setting for a Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter movie.
In a way I was glad that they kept the original stone stairs. The climb was not easy. the corridors were very narrow and steep .Once in a lifetime experience.. It was amazing how they carved the cave churches and the paintings were fantastic. The colors were vivid.
I probably would have done this place and the Underground City, then called it
We were blown away by Selime Monastery. The cave churches were so well-preserved and fun to explore, and since it was off the beaten path, we enjoyed it much more than the Göreme Open-Air Museum. Definitely worth the trip.
This is a cave quite unlike the other rock caves in Coppadocia. Even getting into the inner chambers of Deringkuyu (7 stories underground) were not half as scary. The main problem is that while even if you can climb up there is a lot of loose sand or dust on the slopes which makes climbing down on steep gradients quite…
There are many caves, It is much less crowded than Goreme open air museum. The setting is also prettier. You can climb into the caves and get a good sense how the people must have lived.
Selimay Monastery is in the very nature part of Cappadocia, ypu should see when you go there
Huge boulders, fairy chimneys, and priceless view up there with all the trees below and snowcapped Mt. Hassan. It is a nice climb to the monastery.
I overlooked this place when trying to decide what to visit in Cappadocia. We visited Selime Monastery and it was the highlight of the day. Not surprising that this was the first choice of location for filming Star Wars (wasn't allowed). I thought Selime Monastery and Pasabag were the most photogenic places we visited…
Another fascinating site. Have run out of adjectives for describing these unusual and visually amazing places. Do go
Selime Monastery is a must see, usually in combination with a hike through Ihlara Valley. Guide books seem to play down this site, but it is a wonderful place to climb through old rock dug out churches and houses, definitely one of the best in the region. You can see it with the same ticket as for Ihlara Valley.