Home
Search
Maps
of Turkey
Photo
Gallery
Where
to Go
When
to Go
Where
to Stay
What
It Costs
Turkish Money
Transport
FAQ-Travel
Details
Best
Itineraries
Guided Tours
Travel
Agency
Unusual
Trips
Consultations
TTP
Forums
Funny
Stuff
Shopping
Site
Index
Bright Sun
|
|
Niğde is an old city on the
southern outskirts of Cappadocia (map)
with several exceptional historic
buildings and,
on its outskirts, a striking Byzantine troglodyte
monastery.
Niğde (NEE-deh, alt. 1216 m, 3990
feet, pop. 70,000), a farming center,
is famous for a Turkish proverb: "If
there's no market at Niğde, go on to
Bor." In other words, if you go
in search of something, don't give
up. Persevere!
Among Niğde's historic buildings is
the Seljuk
Turkish Alaeddin Mosque (1223),
on the hill with the fortress; the
fascinating Süngür Bey
Mosque, built by the Seljuks but
extensively modified (1335) by the Mongols,
of all people. The Ak Medrese (1409)
is in post-Seljuk, quasi-Mongol style.
Niğde's museum houses the mummified
remains of a blonde Byzantine nun of
the 900s discovered in the church-filled Ihlara
Valley.
The troglodyte monastery is at Eski
Gümüşler, 10 km (6
miles) east of Niğde's center (map):
The Iconoclastic monastery at Eski Gümüşler...
The city's famous market still
takes place on Thursday around
the city's clock tower near
the hill with the fortress and Alaeddin
Mosque, so if you plan ahead you won't
need to continue to Bor, 10
km (6 miles) to the southwest.
A good excursion from Niğde is to Aladağlar
National Parkand the Kapuzbaşı
Waterfalls. More...
Niğde's hotels are few in number and simple in accommodations. The4-star, 80-room Grand Hotel Niğde is the best in town, with the nearby 3-star, 35-room Hotel Şahiner being the alternative. More...
Most
people stop here for just part of a
day to
see the mosques and Eski Gümüşler
on their way to somewhere else.
Niğde has bus service,
and trains on
the line between Ankara and Adana stop
here.
The nearest airport is
the Nevşehir-Kapadokya Airport,
with daily flights to and from Istanbul. Kayseri and Adana also
have several flights daily to and from
Istanbul.
—by Tom Brosnahan
|
|
 |
Above, the
restored interior of
the Süngür
Bey Mosque (1335).
Below, an
Iconoclastic-period troglodytic
Byzantine church
at Eski Gümüşler.
|
|
|
Eski Gümüşler Monastery
|
|
