Gamirasu Cave Hotel

Ayvali is 10 km to the south of Urgup. Take the road to Mustafapasa, which is on the halfwaywhen leaving Urgup. After the first bridge leaving Urgup, follow the yellow sign pointing towards the Mazikoy Roman tombs, and Ayvali village (misspelling Ayvalik). It is a peaceful small road with spectacular geographical formations. The Archaeologist Kemal Talih Turkmen (1949 - 1995) mentioned about this road as being used in Pre-historical Periods (Urgup, Bilinmeyen Kapadokya’dan bir kesit, Ankara 1999). He discovered an “Obsidian Workshop” from the Stone Age and broken ceramics dated to Assyrian Colony period (2000-1600 BC) just 200m to the north of the same bridge. This small hillside could be used for several purposes for thousands of years. The second bridge is right before you get to Ayvali is Haci Ismail Deresi Koprusu. Stop by and discover the Early Christian Byzantine cave churches with frescoes a 100m to the south of the bridge. It is a place reserved only for you. The fact that very few people now about this place and that the road is away from the main tourist destinations kept this place very unspoiled. ICERIDERE VALLEY, UNDERGROUND CITY The cave houses, an in-excavated underground city, cave potato and apple storage areas are all waiting to be discovered. Some villagers still come live in cave houses. There are many springs with sparkling water. A seven-kilometer long walking path brings you up to Golgoli ruins and Damsa Dam Lake. Cappadocia is the historical name of the region in Central Turkey, 300 km South of Ankara, capital of Turkey. Cappadocia of the Hittite times (2000-1200 BC) was a large area of Central East and Southern Turkey. Modern Cappadocia refers to a geographical area covering the valleys of Goreme, town of Urgup with fairy chimneys, Derinkuyu and Kaymakli underground cities, center of ceramic art in Avanos, panoramic castle of Uchisar, the Canyon of Ihlara near Guzelyurt and Kayseri. Kayseri has the highest mountain of the region Erciyes (Argeus) that also is a ski center between November and March. Gamirasu is located in the heart of Cappadocia, Ayvali village near Urgup. Gamirasu is the name of an exquisitely restored eighteen-room cave house opened in 1999, in Ayvali Village near Urgup in the heart of Cappadocia, Turkey. The hotel is located in a restored one thousand year old Byzantine monastic retreat that offers modern conveniences without distracting from the spiritual feeling of the area that was inhabited for more than five thousand years. Gamirasu has eighteen rooms for its guests. Christian monks used part of the hotel until recently. Some of the rooms were actually monk cells. The quality of the cave rooms make you feel cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Volcanic rock called ”tuffa” is perfect insulation material that keeps the temperature between 17 - 20 degrees Celsius throughout the year. In the hotel kitchen, organically produced food is used. The chef presents typical Cappadocian style of six course Turkish dishes for dinner. Breakfast is presented as open buffet style where you can find home made jams, from locally dried apricots, pure village honey, and cream straight from the owner’s cow.