23km (14 miles) east of Nevsehir; 6.5km (4 miles) east of Göreme
Of the major villages in Cappadocia, Ürgüp strikes a balance between preserving its Anatolian traditions and cultivating an unobtrusive yet irresistible tourist infrastructure. To meet the rising demand, hoteliers are all too eager to create magical and otherworldly accommodations for an increasingly upscale market. Crumbled hovels are snatched up for a song, human odors of food and sweat are scraped away with the top layers of porous tufa, and perfectly charming romantic retreats materialize. Of course, one day, all of those abandoned terraced houses will sprout brand-new facades, a gentrification process that, while polished and attractive, will probably be devoid of the character that drew us here in the first place. The process has already begun, particularly in the wake of press provided by the highly popular Turkish soap opera, Asmali Konak. But for now, Ürgüp remains a tranquil yet convenient corner of Cappadocia that makes an ideal base from which to explore the surrounding valleys.
