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.
Seilim Monastery was carved out the rock by Christian monks in 13th century. This is the biggest monastery in Cappadocia with a cathedral sized chruch. The wall were decorated with frescoes. There are a lot of religious and historical monuments.
Cappadocia in of itself is amazing. However, Selime Monastery is one of the main reasons why it is so. It's at the tail end of a long hike — or you can drive there/hire a taxi. The view is breathtaking and the intracracies of how it was build is mind blowing. It was seriously one of the best places I've…
The Monastery in jaw dropping, even after you've seen the other amazing sites in Cappadocia. Not to belittle its historical and religious significance but it is also a really fun place to visit with places to explore and tunnels. If it were in Zelve it would easily be the museum highlight. It is locked up at 5PM so plan accordingly.
We visited here as part of a tour which also included the Ilhara Valley and Derinkuyu which we really wanted to see but I have to say that the Selime Monastery was one of my favorite places. The caves here are far more impressive and complex than an of the other sites we visited. The rooms are interconnected and on…
Do they really make such a building with no tech? amazing stuff
We arranged for a private tour and this was worth it if you like the privacy and want to miss the bus loads. We left quite early. Morning is best as it is less likely to rain and be cloudy. The monastery is certanly magical.
Wasn't expecting much from this place. We did a a hike in a nearby valley and stopped here on our way back. The location has beautiful views. The place was not very busy as we came late in the day. It has a almost magical quality to it, hard to describe but all in the party felt the same way….
what a place to live. Impressive carved monastary, large-ish church, quarters. A little off the beaten path. We saw it along with the Ilhara Valley on a tour – better if you can go on your own, since we didn't have enough time to look.
Watch your step.
Signage was not too helpful and there was a "traffic jam" on the footpath up and down. There's lots of history here, thoough, and you are right on top and in it.
Selimay Monastery is well worth the visit. There are breath-taking views of the area from up in the buildings and it is fun to explore the Dr. Seuss like structures.