Ihlara Valley
Ihlara Valley was created by the cracking and collapsing which occurred as a result of basalt and andesite lava from Mt. Hasandag’s eruption. The Melendiz river, in millions of years, found its way through these cracks, eroding the canyon bed and helping to form Ihlara Canyon we see today. The Melendiz river (which formed Ihlara) used to be called "Potamus Kapadukus" meaning the River of Cappadocia. Ihlara Canyon is situated 40 km from Aksaray and can be reached making a turn at the 11th km of the Aksaray-Nevsehir road.
The 14km long, in some places 110 meter high Ihlara Valley begins at Ihlara village and ends at Selime village. There are numerous dwellings, churches and graves built into the Ihlara Valley walls, some of which are connected by tunnels and corridors. Ihlara Valley proved to be an ideal place for the seclusion and worship of monks, and a hideaway and defense area for people during times of invasion. The decorations in the churches can be dated to various times from the 6th to the 13th centuries, and the churches can be classified into two groups. The churches near the Ihlara Valley display frescoes with oriental influence. Those nearer to Belisirma display Byzantine type decorations. Very few Byzantine inscriptions in this area can be read. Above a 13th century fresco in the church of St. George (Kirkdamatli), the names of Seljuk Sultan Mesud (1282 - 1305) and the Byzantine Emperor Andronicos are inscribed. The construction of new churches slows down after the Seljuk Turks' conquerence of the area but the church life in the Ihlara Valley continues until the population exchange between Greek and Turkey in 1924. The churches of the Ihlara Valley with the best preserved fresques are the Agacalti, Purenliseki, Kokar churches.