Cappadocia Hiking Trail: Off the Beaten Path from Mustafapaşa to İbrahimpaşa

Beyond Cappadocia's famous valleys lies a quieter side of the region. This scenic walk from Mustafapaşa to İbrahimpaşa connects hidden rock-cut churches, lush canyon landscapes, and two villages rich in history and local character.

If you've come to Cappadocia for hiking, chances are you've set aside a few days for the valleys around Göreme and Uçhisar, and walked among those moon-like valleys and fairy chimneys. Cappadocia's growing fame has made these spots quite popular, and as you walk, you're very likely to encounter horseback safaris and plenty of fellow hikers.

If you have the time, I'd recommend walking the less touristy Mustafapaşa-İbrahimpaşa "off the beaten path" route instead. Doing so will give you the chance to get to know two beautiful Cappadocian villages that remain largely untouched by mass tourism: Mustafapaşa, formerly known as Sinasos, and İbrahimpaşa, formerly known as Babayan.

Wherever in Cappadocia you happen to have breakfast, reaching Mustafapaşa Village is easy, it's about 5 kilometers from the center of Ürgüp. From the second half of the 19th century onward, the village's mainly christion-orthodox residents, many of whom traded in Istanbul, built considerable wealth through the caviar trade, which is why this village is home to some of Cappadocia's most beautiful mansions. You can start your walk by admiring the lovely gate of the old Medrese on the village square and visiting the Church of Constantine and Helena.

You'll find variations of this route on many hiking apps and websites, but the one I'm describing here starts in central Mustafapaşa, climbs up to the village's upper neighborhood, enters Gomeda Valley from there, and then continues on toward İbrahimpaşa which is an easy-to-moderate route of about 12 kilometers.

As for the highlights: almost as soon as you leave the village, you'll come across the Eustathios Church, with an entrance so hidden it's almost a secret. You really don't expect to find such a massive rock-cut church behind such a tiny opening. Walking along the Üzengi Stream through Gomeda Valley, you'll pass through a wonderfully lush landscape, water tunnels you actually walk through, and enormous dovecotes. As you leave the valley and approach İbrahimpaşa, those breathtaking, almost otherworldly Cappadocian views reappear. Tavşanlı Church makes a lovely stop for lunch and if you're up for a short but steep climb of a few meters, you can see inside this beautiful church and discover its wall decorations. From there, İbrahimpaşa gradually comes into view. After stopping for tea at the café on the village square, I'd recommend visiting the village's distinctive mosque, known for its unique wall paintings.