Sleepy Cappadocian backwater Population: Less than 2,000
Old name: Babayan (Greek)
The Cappadocian village of İbrahimpaşa lies just two km off the main road linking Ürgüp to Nevşehir, but even though it’s close to the junctions with much-visited Göreme and Ortahisar it’s only just waking up to its touristic potential. This translates into a lot of building work going on, especially near the bridge in the centre. Regardless, this is still a sleepy little place where you are more or less guaranteed a quiet stay.
There are no specific sights to worry about. The bridge in the centre that crosses a gorge dates back to 1939 but a recent facelift has left it looking brand new. On either side fine old stone Cappadocian houses with highly decorative facades rise up amid the newer builds.
On the other side of the village a path winds down to views over the glorious unspoilt Balkan Deresi (valley) along which you can walk the 3km to Ortahisar, pausing along the way to inspect a few rarely visited rock-cut churches and crumbling cave homes. https://www.cappadociahistory.com/post/balkan-deresi-churches
In summer this is a great place to come to sample a köy kahvaltı (village breakfast) with a spectacular view over the valley.
The village presumably takes its modern name from that of Damad İbrahim Paşa, the early 18th-century grand vizier who founded the modern town of Nevşehir.
Sleeping
Narcissos Cave Hotel. Tel: 0532-251 2792
Nino Cave Suites. Tel: 0530-091 6067
Transport info
İbrahimpaşa doesn’t have any public transport timed to suit the needs of day trippers so you may need to hire a taxi to get here.
Day trip destinations
