The Göreme Open Air Museum is the crown jewel of Cappadocia’s rich history. This small area contains the best churches in Cappadocia and several monastic complexes. For this reason, the Göreme Open Air Museum is Cappadocia’s most popular tourist destination. This article explains the broader geographical, social, and historical context of the Göreme Open Air Museum.
In 1985, the Göreme Open Air Museum was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site to conserve and properly display Cappadocia’s best cave churches. To facilitate thousands of tourists each day, the Turkish government built roads, parking lots, and shops along with the Open Air Museum. These measures were helpful and necessary, but they created a spotlight effect—visitors only notice the sites within the Open Air Museum, and thus overlook all the nearby churches. The churches of the Göreme Open Air Museum must be understood within the broader context of the entire valley.
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