Located in central Turkey, Cappadocia is one of Turkey’s most popular places to visit. And while Cappadocia is the name of an entire region, it is a small part of this region that visitors flock to to experience first hand the unique landscape of Goreme and Uchisar. One of the most popular places for tourists to visit is the Goreme Open Air Museum but is it actually worth visiting?


What is the Gรถreme Open Air Museum
The Goreme Open-Air Museum is an UNESCO World Heritage Site that is a vast complex of rock-cut churches and chapels dating as far back as the 4th century. In addition to the churches, many of which are adorned with frescoes, there are also living quarters, dining halls, and kitchens that were used by the community.
The Goreme Open Air Museum is such an amazing piece of history and a unique site to see and is definitely worth visting!
Where is the Goreme Open Air Museum?
The museum is located just outside of the center of the town of Goreme, about 1.8km. Cappadocia is one of Turkey’s most popular destinations and can easily be reached by plane, car, or bus.
You can see the town of Gรถreme (in the center) and the surrounding area on the map below. The Gรถreme Open Air Museum is located in the purple highlighted circle on the map.

Goreme Open Air Museum History
Ancient History
The area of Cappadocia dates back to prehistoric times with evidence of humans inhabiting the region for thousands of years. From 1600 – 1200 BCE the Hittites, an ancient Anatolian people, controlled the Cappadocia region before falling to the Persian Empire in the 6th century BCE.
Hellenistic Period
During the 4th century BCE, Alexander the Great conquered the world expanding it’s empire from Europe to Africa and Asia. Cappadocia fell within that area of conquest although it did maintain some independence under local rulers.
With the region’s semi-independence, it became a settlement for early Christians in the 4th century BCE. Monks and nuns carved out monasteries and churches from the soft volcanic rock and over centuries the community expanded and so did the unique structures.
Roman and Byzantine Periods
When the Roman Empire came into power, Cappadocia was integrated into the empire as a province around the year 17 and it became an important center for Christianity. The unique geology provided refuge for early Christians.
When the Byzantine Empire flourished from the 4th-11th centuries, this is when many of the rock-cut churches and frescoes that can still be seen today were created.

Medieval Period
After the Byzantine Period, Cappadocia came under the control of the Seljuk Turks during the 11th-13th centuries and Islam began to spread in the region. During the 15th century, Cappadocia became part of the Ottoman Empire where it remained until the early 20th century.
Modern era of Cappadocia
The Republic of Turkey was established in 1923 and Cappadocia became part of the modern Turkish state.
Christianity in Goreme
Christianity in Gรถreme, a key area within Cappadocia, has a profound historical significance. During the early centuries of the Roman Empire, Christians were being persecuted and Goreme became the perfect landscape for escaping that persecution.
The ability to carve out homes and religious centers from the soft volcanic rock and the remoteness of the Cappadocia region allowed Christians to continue their practice of monasticism pretty much hidden from the Roman Empire.
Christianity in Gรถreme was a vital part of the history of early Christianity showcasing the resilience and devotion of early Christians to their religious beliefs.
Visiting the Goreme Open Air Museum
The Gรถreme Open-Air Museum is one of the most popular places to visit in the area and contains some of the best collection of rock-cut churches, chapels, and monasteries. These cave churches have some beautifully painted, well-preserved frescoes depicting biblical scenes and religious symbols.
While taking a sunrise hot air balloon ride is the top activity there, the Goreme Open Air Museum is a must-see addition to your Cappadocia Turkey Itinerary.

Goreme Open Air Museum Location
The museum is located just a short distance from the main center of town in Goreme. It’s just a 6 minute drive or a 30 minute walk if you don’t have a vehicle. You could take a taxi as well and that shouldn’t cost more than a few dollars since it’s so close. There’s a taxi station right in the main area of town in Goreme along the pink line I’ve drawn on the map.
The green circle on the map is where the hotels (cave hotels) are in Goreme. The pink line is basically the main tourist area where the shops and restaurants are in town. The blue dots on the map is the path you have to take to get to the Goreme Open Air Museum, which is marked on the map with the purple musem icon.

Goreme Open Air Museum Hours
The Goreme Open Air Museum is open every day of the week from 8am to 8pm. The Ticket office closes at 7:15pm so make sure you get there before that.
Gรถreme Open Air Museum Tickets
There are a few ways to purchase your entry tickets to the museum depending on how you want to visit. You can purchase an individual ticket either online or at the entrance and explore the museum on your own. The other option is to take part in a tour with a guide who can tell you all about the history of the caves.
Individual entry ticket
There’s no need to buy your tickets in advance to the Gรถreme Open Air Museum. You don’t have to select a specific time either. The Goreme Open Air Museum ticket price is about 20 Euro and you can purchase your museum ticket online and just show up when you’re ready to visit. If you want to visit the Dark Church (the highlight of the open air museum) make sure you add that to your online ticket as well for just 6 Euro.
You can also just show up and buy your ticket in person. The price is the same either way.
Tours that include the Goreme Open Air Museum
The Goreme Open Air Museum Guided Walking Tour is a 1.5 hour tour that includes lunch. You’ll meet in the town of Goreme and then walk 30 minutes to the museum. Once there you’ll stop at a cafe for lunch before starting the museum tour.
Another option is to take the popular Cappadocia Red Tour which is a full day tour to several sites in and around Cappadocia that includes the Goreme Open-Air Museum.



Museum Passes in Turkey
If you plan on visiting a lot of museums or archaeological sites in Turkey then you might want to consider purchasing a pass that allows you to visit multiple sites for less money than purchasing individual tickets.
Cappadocia e-Pass
With the Cappadocia e-Pass you’ll have access to the Goreme Open Air Museum and much more. There are 4 different e-Passes to choose from, either 2 days, 3 days, 4 days or 5 days. The pass allows you to see as much as you can in the alloted days that you picked.
Once you purchase your Cappadocia e-Pass you’ll download it to your phone and can start using it immediately. You don’t need to purchase it in advance AND if for some reason you end up unable to use it or just decided to change your mind, you can get a full refund. The refund is only if you didn’t use it at all. If you use it at just one place then you won’t get that refund.
With the Cappadocia e-Pass you’ll be able to take walking tours, guided tours, and tours that require reservations. When you’re ready to use the pass you’ll need to activate it. You can either log into your account and pick the starting date or it can be activated just by using it. Once you activate your pass the count down starts.
Some of the tours and sites included with the Cappadocia e-Pass are the Red Tour, Blue Tour, Green Tour, the Kaymakli Underground City, the Whirling Dervishes show, ATV tour, and more.
Turkey MuseumPass E-Card
Another way to visit the Goreme Open Air Museum is to buy a Turkey MuseumPass E-Card. This pass is a good way to visit archeological sites and museums in Turkey if you plan on visiting multiple places throughout the country. With this pass you get entrance into more than 350 sites.
The card is valid for 15 days from when you first use the card and costs 165 Euro which is a HUGE savings over purchasing tickets at each individual site. Just make sure you add up the cost of purchasing individual tickets to the places you want to visit to make sure you’ll be saving money. It’s definitely not a good buy if you only plan on visiting a few places.
Some of the amazing sites you can visit with the Turkey MuseumPass E-Card are Pamukkale, Hierapolis Archeological Site, Ephesus, Troy Archeological Site, Topkapi Palace, Gobekli Tepe, and so much more. If you’re going to be in Turkey for at least 2 weeks this is a steal!
What you’ll see at the Goreme Open Air Museum
Within the Cappadocia region there are more than 600 churches carved from the rocks. At the Goreme Open Air Museum there are 14 churches and refectories. Many of them have incredible frescoes and some have just some basic red crosses and other shapes.
The scenes most frequently depicted on the frescoes are of the annunciation, baptism, nativity, and the crucifixion.
When you arrive at the site, you’ll see the ticket booth near the entrance. If you’ve already purchased your ticket online or one of the museum passes, you’ll still want to go to the ticket booth because the first painted church is located right there and you don’t want to miss it.



Tokali (Buckle) Church
This is the first church you’ll come to located at the ticket booth. It dates back to the 9th century and is decorated with Byzantine art depicting scense of the life of Christ and of saint John the Baptist. It is the oldest rock-cut church in the region. There are 41 different scenes painted in this church.
After you’ve visited the Tokali Buckle Church you’ll walk down some stairs to the entrance into the open air museum. There are some toilets just outside the entrance but right inside the entrance is a museum and small cafe and there are toilets inside there as well. There is also more toilets further inside the open-air museum.
Chapel of St. Barbara
This church has a dome, two columns, and a cruciform plan (architecture in the shape of a cross). There are 4 scenes of paintings including the Virgin Mary and Jesus as well as St. Barbara all in red paint.


Yilanli (Snake) Church
The snake church is a rectangular shape with a barrel vault but the church was not totally completed. There are portraits of 6 different Saints of Cappadocia as well as scenes of Jesus and more.
Kitchen/Refectory
There are several kitchens in the Goreme Open Air Museum with amazing tables carved from the rock that seats between 40-50 people.


Karanlik (Dark) Church
The Dark Church is an extra 6 euro to enter and you can either buy your ticket at the main entrance or wait until you get to the church because there’s a ticket booth there as well. This one is the best one of all which I suppose is why they charge more money. I don’t understand why it’s not included with the price of the others or why not just charge a little more and make it all one ticket but I don’t run things so it’s separate. ๐
Why is it called the Dark Church? Well, because there is very little light that enters into the church which actually helped the paintings retain their bright colors. It’s pretty spectacular! There are 21 scenes in all from the life of Jesus including the last supper and crucifixion, the old testament, and the four Archeangels: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Azrael.
Final Thoughts
The Goreme Open Air Museum is a must-see place when you’re in Cappadocia. These are the best and most preserved churches in the region and definitely worth visiting and well worth the $20 on the ticket (cheaper if you buy the e-pass). It’s well worth the price for the once in a lifetime experience to see these unique churches carved from rock.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Goreme Open Air Museum worth it?
Absolutely! You won’t see churches with beautiful frescoes carved from rock anywhere else in the world. Trust me…you will be in awe!
How long does it take to see the Goreme Open Air Museum?
Depending on the crowds (tours can have a lot of people), you should expect to spend between 1.5 – 2 hours at the museum. If you can show up right when they open you may get there before the tour buses and avoid some of the crowds.
Are people with disabilities able to visit the Goreme Open Air Museum?
If you are in a wheelchair or have other mobility issues you won’t be able to visit the museum. Since the churches are built in caves you have to climb stairs and step up and over rocks to go inside.
Is the Goreme Open Air Museum suitable for kids?
Yes, kids will love climbing in and out of the caves! However, just be aware that there are some hills and if you’re visiting in the summer it will be hot. Kids are known to get cranky real fast when they get tired. ๐

