Kayakapı

The historical development of Ürgüp and the region can be traced back to 1800–1200 BC, to the Hittite period, and continues from the Phrygian, Persian, Roman and Byzantine periods onto the Seljukid and Ottoman empires. The ‘land of beautiful horses’, as it was called by the Persians, is renowned for the rock-carved shelters that were made by the early Christians fleeing the wave of iconoclasm which spread in the Byzantine Empire, and later by those who escaped the Arab attacks during the 8th – 9th centuries AD. The region is believed to be used as a missionary center, starting from the 1st – 2nd centuries AD, when the first Christian communities appeared, leading the construction of many churches and monasteries in Ürgüp – Göreme, which is now a Historical National Park, and in neighbouring areas. Nevşehir, Ihlara and Soğanlı are the three valleys where this kind of life was prevalent. Among the nearly 200 underground cities in Cappadocia, 45 of them are in Nevşehir Province.

An important find dating from the late Roman – early Byzantine period is a very large floor mosaic and building complex, the first of its kind in the region, which was uncovered by the Nevşehir Museum officials, in Şahin Efendi (Söviş) village, near Soğanlı Valley, in early 2002.

From later periods, Rükneddin Kılıç Aslan and Altıkapılı Mausoleums (Türbe) should be mentioned. One of the important Islamic monuments in this region is the Taşkınpaşa Complex (Külliye) in Damsa Village, which is known to exist since the Karamanoğlu Principality.

It is noteworthy that in the 19th century, Cappadocian settlements such as Mustafapaşa (Sinasos), Derinkuyu (Malekopia) and Ürgüp hosted concentrated populations of the Anatolian Greek citizens of the Ottoman Empire. As testimony to this, many churches are seen in the region today.

The settlement of Ürgüp, or St. Prokopios – its oldest known name, was founded as a little town with cave houses carved into steep rocks on the valley of Tomisos (today Damsa) stream. The main historical spot is the rock formation also known as Esbelli, the center of settlement in Ürgüp. It is surrounded with dwellings and ruins of other buildings carved into the land or made with local stones, part of which forms Kayakapi Neighbourhood.

Today, lying 17 km east of Nevşehir, Ürgüp is a major tourism center with its naturally carved topographical shapes, underground cities and rock-carved churches. The city is located on the Nevşehir – Kayseri highway and also has a developed transportation system reaching smaller centers such as Avanos, Ortahisar, Uçhisar and Göreme, due to its interactive economical and social relations. There are regular buses, which come to Ürgüp as well as daily / specialized tours, mostly because it is a preferred place by travel agencies. The ring road passing north of the city is partially completed and urban development continues on the east and northeast, towards the plains of Damsa Stream and the hills on the Kayseri road. In the latest planning works (see Background of Project Development), the lack of urban sub-centers is recognized. New regulations have been brought about to slowly move small-scaled industrial areas to the outskirts of the city.

Although as much as 25 hectares of the city were declared tourism areas in the Implementation Plan, due to the excessive amount of financing that is needed, investments could be realized on only half of that area and lately have come to a stopping point. In recent years, visitor accommodation was mainly achieved through small-scaled establishments in dwelling areas.

Kalpaklı Kaya Natural Site, with its spreading boundaries, is within the region where Esbelli Rock is situated and is defined as an important reference point, which can affect the city macro form during planning projects.

Technically, the water and sewage structures are sufficient. There is a treatment plant built and managed by the Ministry of Tourism. Waste products from the houses are processed and are directed to the Damsa Stream.

General view over Kayakapi

The Kayakapi Project involves an area of 157 buildings and approximately 23.5 hectares consisting of 255 lots.

The historical Kayakapi Neighbourhood is situated on the northeastern slope of a natural elevation known as Esbelli Rock, which is the most dominant visual and physical feature of the Ürgüp city center. It not only affords an interesting visual spectacle from the point of view of the town, it is also a spot from which a beautiful view of the Cappadocian terrain to the north can be observed. The site comprises many monumental and residential cultural properties – among them, the House of John (Esat Ağa Konağı) – that have become part of the natural topography. John the Russian lived during the late Ottoman times and was regarded as a saint by the local Greeks. The House of John is especially worth mentioning as a place of pilgrimage that is annually visited by the Orthodox Greeks on 27 May. Looking at the settlement history of the city, Kayakapi is thought to be the first settlement area in Ürgüp. It is said that the oldest church of Ürgüp is the rock-carved church in the Kayakapi Neighbourhood. The fact that many of the notable citizens of Ürgüp are natives of this neighbourhood indicates the important contribution of Kayakapi to Ürgüp's urban identity.

After Kayakapi Neighbourhood was deserted, it in time gained an authentic and mysterious character through its half-ruined buildings and naturally evolved landscape. On the other hand, the natural deterioration of the site, as well as human interventions to remove certain architectural elements of the houses, has increased the pace at which the site is being damaged.