4 Best Sights in Soğanli Valleys, Cappadocia and Central Turkey

This small but interesting monastery complex has two main churches and a refectory carved out of rock. The Archangelos Church, thought to date from the 11th or 12th century, has extensive, but blackened, frescoes (a flashlight is essential), including one on the wall facing the entrance that shows the Archangel Michael fighting Lucifer in a landscape that strongly resembles Cappadocia. The walls and ceiling of the nearby Stefanos Church are covered with colorful, almost contemporary-looking floral and geometric designs dating from the 7th or 8th century. The monastery's ever-present caretaker, Cabir Coşkuner, speaks some English and is happy to guide visitors around.

Excavations of this 4th-century Roman town have been going on for about a decade. So far, the well-preserved remains of a Roman bathhouse and a meeting hall with an extensive mosaic floor have been uncovered, as has as a Byzantine church that was later built on top of the mosaics. A roof protects part of the site. There are catwalks and some limited explanatory panels for visitors.

These two scenic wooded valleys that form a V-shape were home to a monastic community during Byzantine times, and there are hundreds of rock dwellings and churches cut into the cliffs. The northern, or "upper," valley (on the right-hand side), has most of the churches, while the southern, or "lower," valley is noteworthy for its many dovecotes. In the former, a path follows a little stream past enormous, house-size boulders and comes to churches including the Karabaş Kilisesi ("Church of the Black Head") and Yılanlı (Snake) Church, with extensive frescoes that have been badly damaged by graffiti. The two-story Kubbeli (Domed) Church has an unusual rock-cut cylindrical dome, reminiscent of medieval Armenian churches. If you're lucky enough to come on a day when there are no tour groups, you'll practically be on your own. Climb up the cliff face, and you'll be rewarded with incredible views.

One of Turkey’s most important bird sanctuaries, Sultan Sazlığı is a national park and Ramsar-protected wetland that’s a 32-km (20-mile) drive from the turnoff for the Soğanlı Valleys. A total of 301 species have been observed here, including flamingos, spoonbills, buzzards, gray herons, lapwings, and great white egrets. There’s no admission fee for the park, but first-timers are encouraged to hire a field guide to take them out by boat, jeep, or foot (depending on the water level in the marshes). Spring is the best time to visit—though, thanks to good rains in the last couple of years, birds can be seen year-round. Contact the guides who run Sultan Pansiyon in Ovaçiftlik village in advance to make arrangements.