Monastery Valley/Manastir Vadisi, Mustafapaşa, Cappadocia region, Turkiye.

 April 18, 2026


We spent the night in Mustafapasa, enjoying walking around the town as well as to the Monastery Valley. We met two young Turkish men who asked us directions! And we learned that one was from the region. 

 

Appealing scenery that included an information board about the geology that you see at this spot


 

 

 

Since we didn't have connectivity, now that I'm writing, I can't remember the churches you see below names.

 

 
It is a lovely, uncrowded walk. There was only one small tour bus of Brazilians and the two Turkish college student mentions above.

Nature fun:

 
 Carabus intricatus, the blue ground beetle, is a species of ground beetle found in Europe
 
 
Bladder senna

 

 Helpful signs at trailhead:


AI overview provided this summary: Mustafapaşa Monastery Valley (Manastır Vadisi), located south of Mustafapaşa town center in Cappadocia, is a serene, historic ravine featuring rock-cut churches, monasteries, and natural scenery. Key attractions include the 19th-century Saint Nicholas Monastery, Saint Basil Chapel, and various rock-carved structures. It is easily accessible, peaceful, and located approximately 1 km from the town center.
We rented our car from Avis is Kayseri and Autoslash.com found an awesome rate for a subcompact SUV.
Accomodation: 
Esen Stone House/Otel via Booking.com  Don't let Google lead you astray, we found easily simply walking around when we couldn't figure it out.  This new property is immaculate, the cleanest we've experienced in our week of travel in Turkey. The breakfast is home cooked, generous and delicious. Hosts are very helpful and friendly.
Restaurant: Hanimell Turkish Food was phenomenal!  We especially enjoyed the stew (forgot the Turkish name) cooked in clay pot. It's a ceremony to watch it broken open 

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