Açıksaray Ören Yeri

Açıksaray lies away from the crowded valleys of Cappadocia, yet it is one of the ruin sites that shows rock-cut civil life most clearly. The site stands on the road from Nevşehir to Gülşehir, about three kilometres from Gülşehir. Sources give Zoropassos as the ancient name of Gülşehir. The ruins consist of many spaces carved into soft tuff, rock tombs from the Roman period and multi-storey groups of dwellings. Most of the structures are thought to have been carved in the Byzantine period, in the 10th and 11th centuries. The settlement is made up of two separate parts with a small stream running between them. The first part, beside the road, contains mostly animal stables. Researchers believe this part was used by the army of the Byzantine emperor Nikephoros Phokas, who camped in the region in 964 and 965. The second part, across the stream, is thought to have been carved as a multi-storey settlement in the middle or second half of the 10th century. Sources also report that some scholars think the place could shelter many people and animals and may later have become a trading and lodging point. What makes Açıksaray famous is its facades. Blind arches, niches and rows of openings were cut into the rock faces in storeys, imitating the front of a masonry building. Behind these facades open wide halls, courtyards and horse stables. The site covers about one square kilometre, and the structures are arranged in eight interlocking groups around a low hill. Local sources name highlights such as the Tavla or Horse Stable, the Little Palace, the Barrel Vaulted Building and the Stepped Dwelling. The group known as the Little Palace is presented as one of the best examples of the multi-storey layout. Part of the rock-cut structures on the site served worship, but what sets Açıksaray apart are the traces of civil life. In the sections that extend underground you can see rolling stones made for defence. These round stones weigh between 200 and 500 kilograms and can only be opened from the inside. The hole in the middle of the stone was used both to turn the door and to watch the outside. Between floors there are communication holes no wider than 5 to 10 centimetres. According to sources, kitchens and presses for processing grapes were on the upper floors, while animal shelters were on the lower floors. The emblem of the site is its mushroom-shaped fairy chimney. This rock, carrying a broad cap on a slender stem, is also regarded as the emblem of Gülşehir, and sources state that this form is not seen anywhere else in the region. The mushroom rock is one of the most striking examples of soft tuff wearing away under wind and rain beneath a hard cap. It makes sense to start with the stable group by the road and then cross the stream to the multi-storey structures on the opposite slope. The paths are uneven and rocky in places, so wear sturdy shoes. Sources say that the best time to visit is in the morning, when the sun brings out the texture of the rock surface. Today the site is also popular with walkers; Gülşehir District Governorship mentions a walking route of about seven kilometres that includes Çat Valley. Shade is scarce, so carry water and a hat in summer. Check current visiting conditions with the Nevşehir Museum Directorate and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The site is reached by car on the road from Nevşehir towards Gülşehir; it lies right beside the road and is easy to find. Açıksaray can be combined in one day with the town centre of Gülşehir and the settlements along the Kızılırmak.