OPEN AIR MUSEUM 

Due to space limitations, I'm posting a series of tips on Goreme Open Air Museum, rather than putting them all together in a single entry, starting with the following general tip on practicalities of visiting this World Heritage Site:

1) Going there - if you're staying in Goreme, it's an easy 1-km walk from the village center to the museum, albeit uphill. But you'd be rewarded with wonderful views along the way, and may even be tempted to venture to some diverting paths leading to some pleasant surprises.


 
 
 2) Tickets - easily purchased at the entrance, costing 20 TL as of October 2014.( If you can buy museum card you can enter all places without paying except a few.It is also 20 Tl.So it will be helpful in future days not to pay every churches.)

3) Cameras and tripods – the former are allowed, the latter, big no no, so is flash photography. Since the cave churches are dimly lit inside, getting good shots without the flash is a challenge. Another tripod-carrying tourist I was with had to argue with the guards – but to no avail. Perhaps they don’t want tourists taking commercial quality photos?

4) There’s another one down the road – don’t forget to visit another church, Tokali Kilise (Buckle Church) down the hill outside the main museum compound (on the road back to the village). Just show your ticket to the guide. Make sure you visit this church the same day you visit the main compound, although a little bit of friendly persuasion (and a smile and some Turkish phrases) will get you through the gate even if you’re carrying an expired, pre-dated ticket. So next tip onto  Kiliclar Valley. It is said that there are 7 churches in Open air museum. And One church is closed and you pay extra 10 TL for seeing it.

(If you want to  see what you should look for before Open Air Museum see tip onto Gorkundere Valley and Zemi Valley.)