Göreme

Göreme town and valley

Göreme (pronounced [ˈɟøɾeme]; Ancient Greek: Κόραμα, Kòrama), located among the "fairy chimney" rock formations, is a town in Cappadocia, a historical region of Turkey. It is in the Nevşehir Province in Central Anatolia and has a population of around 2,000 people.[1]

Former names of the town have been Korama, Matiana, Maccan or Machan, and Avcilar.[2] When Göreme Valley nearby was designated an important tourist destination, a "center" for all tourism in Cappadocia, the name of the town was changed to Göreme for practical reasons.

Among Göreme's historically important sites are Ortahane, Durmus Kadir, Yusuf Koc and Bezirhane churches, in addition to the richly decorated Tokali Kilise, the Apple Church, and a number of homes and pigeon houses carved straight into the rock formations in the town.

History

The time that the Göreme was first settled is unclear, but it could date back as the Hittite era, between 1800 and 1200 B.C. The location was central between rival empires for many centuries, such as the Hurri-Mitanni, Hittite Empire, Middle Assyrian Empire, Neo Assyrian Empire, Persian Achaemenid Empire and the Greek Seleucid Empire etc, leading the natives to tunnel into the rock to escape the political turmoil. During the Roman era, the area became home to Christians retreating from Rome.[3] Christianity prevailed as the primary religion in the region, which is evident from many rock churches that can still be seen today.

Göreme town panorama.

National Park

Göreme National Park
UNESCO World Heritage site
Location Nevşehir Province, Anatolia, Turkey
Part of Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia
Criteria Cultural and Natural: (i)(iii)(v)(vii)
Reference 357-001
Inscription 1985 (9th Session)
Area 9,572 ha (36.96 sq mi)
Coordinates 38°40′N 34°51′E / 38.667°N 34.850°E / 38.667; 34.850
Location of Göreme in Turkey

The Göreme National Park (Göreme Tarihî Millî Parkı in Turkish) was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Lynch, Paul; McIntosh, Alison J.; Tucker, Hazel (2009-06-02). Commercial Homes in Tourism: An International Perspective. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-134-03028-6.
  2. ↑ "Goreme.org – Goreme". goreme.org. Retrieved 2015-08-30.
  3. ↑ Society, National Geographic. "Cappadocia -- World Heritage Site -- National Geographic". Retrieved 2015-08-30.

Coordinates: 38°38′35″N 34°49′44″E / 38.64306°N 34.82889°E / 38.64306; 34.82889

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