Zelve Museum Cappadocia

The valley was inhabited until 1952. Apart from monasteries and churches, houses, a tunnel joining two of the valleys, a mill, a mosque and several dove-cotes are found in the valley. Like the ones in Uchisar, Goreme and Cavusin, it is not known when the rock dwellings in Zelve were first inhabited but it was an important settlement and religious area during the 9th and 13th centuries. The first seminaries to priests were given here. The Direkli Church (with Columns), situated at the bottom of the slopes, dates back to the early years of monastery life in Zelve. The main decorations are high relief crosses belonging to the Iconoclastic doctrine. Some of the most important churches in the valley are Balıklı (Fish),Uzumlu, (Grape) and Geyikli (Deer), belonging to the Pre-Iconoclastic period. Also, there is an option that you can visit Zelve museum by one of local travel agency in Turkey which is organizing daily trip to Cappadoca.