Selime Monastery

At first sight Selime Monastery is not a building at all. Viewed from the road, you see a pale rock face dotted with dark holes, rising over Selime village where Ihlara Valley ends to the north. Once you climb, the holes turn out to be windows and doors, and inside the cliff are halls, churches, kitchens and stables cut from the solid stone. Cappadocia has no larger religious complex carved from rock.

Key facts

History

Most date the monastery to the Byzantine era, around the 10th to 11th centuries, a time when many monastic communities lived in Cappadocia. Its scale points to an important centre, perhaps also a halt on the trade routes through the region. Some scholars believe parts of it doubled as a caravan station or a large residence, not just a monastery.

Once the Seljuk Turks took control, Turkish communities settled here. The village below is named after Selime Sultan, whose cone-roofed tomb from the Seljuk era stands in the old cemetery beside the road.

Highlights

• The cathedral church. The biggest room in the complex, with carved columns dividing it into nave and aisles and a gallery above. Some walls keep traces of paint.
• The kitchen. A high room with a chimney cut up through the rock, its walls smoke-blackened over centuries.
• The stables. Troughs for feeding animals are cut into the walls, proof that livestock lived inside the complex.
• Halls and courtyard. Wide open spaces framed by facades carved with blind arches.
• The view. Higher up, you look down the Ihlara canyon to the fields and poplars along the Melendiz river.

Pairing Selime with Ihlara

Selime lies where the Ihlara canyon finishes and the land opens into farms. Most people come here once they have walked the valley, a long day but a good one. With your own car you can reverse it: begin the morning at Selime, head south on foot into the canyon, and have lunch at Belisirma. From Goreme the drive is about 1.5 hours, with Mount Hasan on the skyline as you cross Aksaray province.

Was it a Star Wars set?

Guides in the area enjoy saying that Selime's odd shapes inspired scenes in Star Wars. No evidence shows filming ever took place here. The comparison is entertaining, but the real history of its monks and villagers is better.

When to go

In late afternoon the cliff glows and there are fewer groups, since most Green Tours turn up at midday. The weather is pleasant in spring and autumn. Summer heats the rock and shade is scarce. Rain or snow makes the smooth tuff slippery, so be careful on the slopes.

Our guided Green Tour with lunch ends its day here, after Derinkuyu and the walk through Ihlara; it lasts seven hours and costs from US$70. On our private guided Cappadocia tour you have your own guide and driver and more time at Selime, from US$400 per day. The two-day Cappadocia trip with flights visits it on a trip starting in Istanbul, from US$800.

The climb

A path leads up from the road, and inside the complex you scramble over sloping rock. The climb is short but steep in parts, and a few passages are dark and tight. Visitors with limited mobility will find it unsuitable. Children love it but should be watched closely near the unfenced edges.

Tips

• Choose shoes with a good grip; sandals slip on the worn stone.
• Bring a torch for the inner rooms (a phone light works too).
• Leaving, call in at Selime Sultan's tomb.
• To walk the canyon on the same day, see our Ihlara Valley guide.

Frequently Asked Questions