Göreme

Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia *
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Göreme Valley
Country	Turkey
Type	Mixed
Criteria	i, iii, v, vii
Reference	357
Region **	Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription	1985 (9th Session)
Location of Göreme in Turkey
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List ** Region as classified by UNESCO

Göreme (pronounced [ˈɟøɾeme]; Ancient Greek: Κόραμα, Kòrama), located among the "fairy chimney" rock formations, is a town in Cappadocia, a historical region of Turkey. It is in the Nevşehir Province in Central Anatolia and has a population of around 2,500 people.

Former names of the town have been Korama, Matiana, Maccan or Machan, and Avcilar. When Göreme Valley nearby was designated an important tourist destination, a "center" for all tourism in Cappadocia, the name of the town was changed to Göreme for practical reasons.

The Göreme National Park (Göreme Milli Parklar in Turkish) was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.

The location of Göreme was first settled back in the Roman period. Christianity was then the prevailing religion in the region, which is evident from many rock churches that can still be seen today.

Among Göreme's historically important sites are Ortahane, Durmus Kadir, Yusuf Koc and Bezirhane churches, in addition to the richly decorated Tokali Kilise, the Apple Church, and a number of homes and pigeon houses carved straight into the rock formations in the town.

Göreme town panorama.

Gallery

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  Fairy Chimney Rock Formations.

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  View of Göreme

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  Goreme national park as seen from space.

See also

• Ürgüp
• Churches of Göreme

References

• Goreme Info
• UNESCO site

External links

• Durmus Kadir church
• Troglodyte architecture in Göreme.
• Goreme travel guide from Wikitravel
• A photo tour of walking tours from Göreme

Coordinates: 38°40′N 34°50′E / 38.667°N 34.833°E / 38.667; 34.833