Paşabağ is the valley of the three-capped fairy chimneys, the most photographed in Cappadocia, and Devrent, five minutes away, is the valley of rocks shaped like animals. They are two short stops, one after the other, on the road between Göreme and Avanos, and together they explain better than any information panel how wind and water carved this landscape.
Neither involves a long walk or much effort: these are places where you stand, look and take photos. Here is what you need to know to see them well.
A little history
Millions of years ago the volcanoes Erciyes, Hasan and Göllüdağ buried the region in ash, which compacted into tuff, a soft rock, beneath harder layers of lava and basalt. Erosion carried away the soft rock and left columns protected by caps of hard stone: the fairy chimneys. At Paşabağ many of them have several caps, because there were several layers of basalt.
Byzantine monks made their homes in the chimneys: Paşabağ is also known as Monks Valley after the hermits' cells carved into them, and neighbouring Zelve was a whole cave village, inhabited until 1952. The name Paşabağ means "the pasha's vineyard": in the 19th century an Ottoman official kept his vineyards here.
What to see at Paşabağ and Devrent
The three-capped chimneys
The tallest in the region, with two or three caps stacked on top of each other, standing among vines and almond trees. A dirt path loops around them and lets you get up close; this is where the classic Cappadocia photos are taken.
The hermitage of St Simeon
A chimney with a chapel carved at its base and a cell higher up, reached by a staircase cut inside the rock. Tradition has it that a 5th-century hermit, following the example of St Simeon Stylites, lived at the top to escape the crowds who came to him asking for miracles. The view from the cell is well worth the climb.
The gendarmerie post
A fairy chimney turned into a gendarmerie post, flag and all, which is probably the most photographed police station in Türkiye.
Devrent, the Valley of Imagination
An amphitheatre of pinkish rock with no churches or caves, only shapes: the camel, which everyone recognises, and then seals, dolphins, a kiss or the Virgin and Child, depending on how much imagination you bring. You see it from the roadside viewpoint, which has tea and souvenir stalls.
Zelve, the abandoned village
If you have time to spare, the Zelve Open-Air Museum, included in the Paşabağ ticket, is an entire cave village with churches, a mill and a mosque, abandoned because of rockfalls. It is worth an extra hour if your day allows.
Tips for your visit
Allow about three quarters of an hour at Paşabağ and half an hour at Devrent. The paths are flat dirt tracks, fine for almost everyone; only the staircase inside the hermitage is narrow.
- The best light is in the morning at Paşabağ and in the late afternoon at Devrent, when the rock turns pink.
- In summer, bring a hat and water: there is no shade among the chimneys.
- Don't climb the chimneys except where there are steps: tuff crumbles easily, and there are accidents every year.
- With children it is one of the most enjoyable visits in Cappadocia: they love spotting animals in the rocks at Devrent.
Tickets and prices
At the time of writing (2026), entry to Paşabağ costs €13 under the official 2027 tariff, on a combined ticket with Zelve. Devrent is a free viewpoint. On our tours, entrance tickets are either included or arranged by your guide.
Where it is and how to get there
Both valleys lie on the road from Göreme to Avanos, just past Çavuşin: Paşabağ is roughly 8 km from Göreme and Devrent about 10 km, at the turn-off towards Ürgüp. By car or on a tour you can see both in an hour and a half, driving included; by public transport it is awkward.
How we visit them on our tours
On the Red Valley, Göreme and Paşabağ day tour they are the last stops of the day: the morning is spent at the Göreme Open-Air Museum, and after lunch we visit Avanos and its pottery before finishing at Devrent and Paşabağ. For the other valleys and how to spread them over two or three days, see the complete Cappadocia travel guide.
If you would like me to organise your days in Cappadocia, tell me when you plan your tailor-made trip.