Gümüşler Monastery

Gümüşler Monastery tickets: which one to buy

Gümüşler Monastery is a rock-cut monastery about ten kilometres north-east of the town of Niğde, in the southern part of Cappadocia, Turkey, and a small admission fee is charged; it is covered by the Museum Pass Cappadocia. It is one of the largest and best preserved rock monasteries in Cappadocia, but it is off the main tourist routes, so it is usually quiet.

Visitors often combine Gümüşler with Niğde's castle and museum, the Aladağlar mountains, and the underground cities of Derinkuyu and Kaymaklı, which are about an hour's drive north. A car is the easiest way to reach it. The monastery has a courtyard and several levels to explore, and the frescoes in the church are its highlight. Good shoes and a torch are useful. A taxi from Niğde to the monastery takes about twenty minutes.

Visiting Gümüşler Monastery: what to see

The monastery was carved into the soft volcanic rock in the Byzantine period, probably in the eleventh century, and it was rediscovered in 1963, when excavations uncovered its courtyard and rooms. The monastery is built around a deep courtyard, cut into the rock, with the church, a refectory, living quarters, storerooms, a wine press and an underground passage. The church, which has a cross-in-square plan with four columns and a dome, is decorated with some of the best preserved frescoes in Cappadocia, in vivid colours, including the Virgin and Child, the Annunciation, the Nativity and portraits of saints. The Virgin in the apse is known as the smiling Virgin, one of the few such images in Byzantine art. The monastery's rooms connect through passages and stairs, and a small underground city, used as a refuge, lies beneath.

The courtyard's walls rise more than ten metres high, with carved windows and doors leading to rooms. The refectory has a long table carved from the rock. The storerooms have niches for jars and a wine press with channels. The church's dome is decorated with frescoes of Christ and angels. The underground passage leads to a small underground city, with rooms and ventilation shafts. The monastery's frescoes are protected from light, which has helped preserve their colours. The site's museum and information panels explain the monastery's history. Visitors can explore the rooms at their own pace. The rock carvings include crosses and geometric patterns. The monastery's position in a quiet valley makes it peaceful. The frescoes of the church's walls include scenes of saints on horseback.

Gümüşler Monastery opening hours and the best time to go

The monastery is open daily, with longer hours in summer. Cappadocia's summers are hot and dry, and spring and autumn are the best seasons. Winters are cold, with snow. Because Gümüşler is off the main routes, it is rarely crowded, and visitors can explore at leisure. Morning light is good for photographing the courtyard. Allow about forty-five minutes for the monastery, and combine it with Niğde's museum, which displays mummies from the Byzantine period. Niğde's Archaeological Museum displays finds from the region, including mummies and Hittite objects.