2 Best Sights in Niğde, Cappadocia and Central Turkey

Some say the 11th-century Eski Gümüşler church inside this monastery complex has the only image of a smiling Virgin Mary in the world. Others say that this is due to an error made during the church's restoration. Whatever the case, the frescoes inside, though dark, are beautiful and amazingly preserved. When facing the alter of the church's main nave (the room on the right-hand side), look for the "smiling" Virgin in a rock niche on the left-hand side. Parts of the monastery were carved as early as the 7th century, but most of the frescoes are from around the 11th. They were later painted over by local Turkish Muslims, who considered the depiction of human beings idolatrous.

The monastery also contains a kitchen, rock-carved monks' chambers around the central courtyard, and two levels of underground rooms that may have been used in part as a water reservoir. The sign for the monastery is one of the first things you see as you approach Niğde; it's about 4 km (2½ miles) down the road from there.

The small but nicely done Niğde Museum showcases a variety of finds from nearby archaeological sites dating mainly to the Early Bronze Age and Assyrian, Hittite, Greek, and Roman periods. On display are ceramics, metalwork, jewelry, stelae, and an extensive collection of coins. There are also five 10th- and 11th-century mummies—of an adult woman and four small children—that were found in a rock-cut church in the Ihlara Valley and elsewhere in Cappadocia.