Carved high into the cliff above the abandoned old village of Çavuşin, this cave basilica of St John the Baptist dates to the early 6th century and is one of the oldest and largest rock-cut churches in all of Cappadocia, with a rare three-aisled plan and a broad horseshoe apse. Its frescoes survive only as faded fragments, but the climb up through the empty cave houses — inhabited until rockfall danger emptied the village in 1963 — is wonderfully atmospheric. Don't confuse it with the separate, much more vivid Church of Nikephoros Phokas (the 'Great Pigeon House') beside the Göreme–Avanos road below, whose 964/965 frescoes include imperial portraits of Emperor Nikephoros II Phokas and Empress Theophano.
Highlights
- One of Cappadocia's oldest churches, a fifth-century cliff basilica
- The cross-shaped crypt pilgrims once reached into to touch relics
- Emperor Nicephorus Phocas painted in the apse of the Pigeon House church
- A cliff face of abandoned cave houses rising above old Çavuşin
- Balloon-filled dawn skies over Rose Valley behind the basilica
At a glance
| Period | Byzantine (early 6th century, c. 500s) |
|---|---|
| Opening hours | Open-access cliff site |
| Valley | 2 — Red Valley |
Before you go
Free. A steep, exposed climb to the cliff church; the separate Nikephoros Phokas (Great Pigeon House) church below has the best-preserved frescoes.
Take care
- A steep climb over polished rock — use your hands where needed
- Do not enter the ruined houses; their walls are unstable
- Keep to the lanes in the old village
History
Carved in the 5th century as a monumental three-aisled basilica, the church drew pilgrims from across Byzantine Anatolia to venerate John the Baptist. In 964-965 Emperor Nicephorus Phocas passed through Cappadocia on campaign against the Arabs, and the nearby Pigeon House church was painted to mark the visit, its apse portraying the emperor and Empress Theophano. Old Çavuşin beneath the cliff was abandoned in stages through the 20th century as rockfalls made its dwellings unsafe.
Myth & legend
A cross-shaped crypt in the floor once held sacred relics that pilgrims reached in to touch — tradition says the bones of St John the Baptist or of St Hieron, a Cappadocian soldier martyred at Melitene, whose hand was carried home to his blind mother as a relic.
Geology
The great cliff at Çavuşin is a single wall of volcanic tuff whose face is steadily retreating: slabs peel off along stress fractures, and the fallen blocks below the basilica include its own collapsed narthex. Few places in Cappadocia show so clearly how fast the soft rock yields to gravity and weather.
Wildlife & nature
The cliff face below the church is busy with crag martins and rock doves, with western rock nuthatch plastering its mud nests into the tuff and kestrels quartering the ridge. Poplars, vineyards and apricot orchards fill the valley floor, and wild rose brightens the Red Valley paths just beyond.
The view
A cliff face of abandoned cave houses rises above old Çavuşin, crowned by the great fifth-century basilica of St John the Baptist, with balloon-filled dawn skies over Rose Valley behind.
Photography
Shoot the cliff facade from the village at first light when balloons drift overhead; inside, light is dim and flash is best avoided on the surviving frescoes, so steady hands help.
When to visit
Spring and autumn are ideal for combining the church with Rose and Love Valley walks; summer visits are best made early, and the abandoned village is atmospheric under winter snow.
Getting there
Çavuşin village sits on the Göreme to Avanos road about 4 km from Göreme; dolmuş services stop in the village, and many walkers arrive on trails through Love or Rose Valley.
Where to stay
Çavuşin itself has quiet stone guesthouses and small cave pensions, a mellow alternative to Göreme's much busier hotel scene ten minutes down the road.
Food & water
Shops and cafes around the village square sell bottled water; carry some for the climb to the church and for any valley walking, as there is nothing to buy on the cliff itself.
Safety
The climb to the basilica is steep over polished rock — use your hands where you need to. In the old village keep to the lanes: do not enter the ruined houses, whose walls are unstable. In an emergency dial 112.
Accessibility
Reaching the basilica means a climb of ten to fifteen minutes through the abandoned village on uneven paths and worn steps, unsuitable for limited mobility; the facade shows well from below.
Visitor tips
Go early before tour stops arrive, then seek out the frescoed Church of Nicephorus Phocas nearby; Çavuşin makes a natural pause on the walk between Göreme and Paşabağ.
The guide, in full
The written guide to this site.
High above the old village of Çavuşin, a great arched hollow opens in the cliff face, and that is where you are headed: the Church of Saint John the Baptist, carved in the fifth century and counted among the very oldest churches in all of Cappadocia. Long before Göreme's painted chapels existed, pilgrims were already climbing this slope. The church is a true basilica, a broad three-aisled hall cut entirely from the rock, its ceiling far higher than that of any ordinary cave church — a scale that tells you Çavuşin was once a place of real consequence, drawing the faithful from across the region each year for the feast of its saint. Fragments of early frescoes still cling to the walls, among them scenes honouring John the Baptist himself, the desert preacher who was martyred at the command of a king. The climb to the entrance is steep and the rock underfoot is polished by countless earlier feet, so take it steadily and use your hands where you need to. Around and below the church spreads the old village, a tumble of cave houses and carved stone facades stacked against the cliff like a natural apartment block. People lived here for many centuries, until rockfalls in the twentieth century made the upper streets unsafe and the community moved to newer houses on the flat ground you see below. Wander the empty lanes respectfully: hollow doorways, soot-blackened kitchens and staircases leading to open sky give old Çavuşin a strange, haunting beauty. Then, on the far side of the village near the main road, seek out a second treasure, the church of Nikephoros Phokas, known locally as the Great Pigeon House because farmers later walled its openings and used it as a dovecote, harvesting the droppings to feed their vineyards. It was carved and painted around the year nine hundred and sixty-four, and its frescoes are among the most vivid in Cappadocia: ranks of saints and soldier-martyrs in glowing colour and, rarely for Byzantine art, portraits of the emperor Nikephoros Phokas together with his empress, Theophano. The soldier-emperor is believed to have passed this way on campaign, and the local painters recorded the honour on their walls, where it has outlasted his empire by a thousand years. Before you walk on, turn around. From the terrace by the basilica the view sweeps across the Rose and Red valleys, whose fluted ridges blush pink and crimson as the afternoon light lowers — many walkers call this the finest panorama of the whole trail. Give yourself a quiet moment with it, listen for the pigeons that still wheel about the cliff, and then follow the path onwards, leaving the old village to doze in the sun.
Common questions
How old is Çavuşin Church (St John the Baptist)?
Çavuşin Church (St John the Baptist) dates from the Byzantine (early 6th century, c. 500s) period.
How do I get to Çavuşin Church (St John the Baptist)?
Çavuşin village sits on the Göreme to Avanos road about 4 km from Göreme; dolmuş services stop in the village, and many walkers arrive on trails through Love or Rose Valley.
What are the opening hours at Çavuşin Church (St John the Baptist)?
Open-access cliff site
Is Çavuşin Church (St John the Baptist) accessible?
Reaching the basilica means a climb of ten to fifteen minutes through the abandoned village on uneven paths and worn steps, unsuitable for limited mobility; the facade shows well from below.
When is the best time to visit Çavuşin Church (St John the Baptist)?
Spring and autumn are ideal for combining the church with Rose and Love Valley walks; summer visits are best made early, and the abandoned village is atmospheric under winter snow.
Is there food and water at Çavuşin Church (St John the Baptist)?
Shops and cafes around the village square sell bottled water; carry some for the climb to the church and for any valley walking, as there is nothing to buy on the cliff itself.
Where can I stay near Çavuşin Church (St John the Baptist)?
Çavuşin itself has quiet stone guesthouses and small cave pensions, a mellow alternative to Göreme's much busier hotel scene ten minutes down the road.
What should I know before visiting Çavuşin Church (St John the Baptist)?
Go early before tour stops arrive, then seek out the frescoed Church of Nicephorus Phocas nearby; Çavuşin makes a natural pause on the walk between Göreme and Paşabağ.
Is Çavuşin Church (St John the Baptist) safe to visit?
The climb to the basilica is steep over polished rock — use your hands where you need to. In the old village keep to the lanes: do not enter the ruined houses, whose walls are unstable. In an emergency dial 112.
Nearby on the route
Plan the visit
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