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Ürgüp is a town in Cappadocia, Turkey. It sits within the UNESCO World Heritage listed Göreme Historical National Park (Göreme Tarihî Milli Parkı).
Brief History of Ürgüp
Ürgüp is best known for being the place Saint John the Russian was kept as a slave. In Greek, it was known as Prokopio (Προκόπιο). Mainly a tourist center today, Ürgüp has a few interesting places to see if you have some extra time.
Wish Hill
On my first visit to Cappadocia in October 2010, I had about an hour to walk around Ürgüp before catching a flight back to Istanbul. In that time, I decided to explore Wish Hill (Temenni Tepesi), which dominates the old town. In front of the hill is a row of restaurants and souvenir shops. From there, the street inclines and winds around to the entrance at the back of the hill.
Wish Hill is a rock formation full of caves. Many of the caves are still used to this day for storage. There’s a scenic overlook at the top as well as a mock tomb.
The tomb was presumed to have been built by Seljuk Sultan Rüknettin Kılıçarslan IV (d. 1265). Apparently, research revealed it was actually built by Mehmed Vecihi Pasha (1797-1867) between 1857 and 1858. The sarcophagus inside is empty.
Dutlu Mosque
Across the street from Wish Hill is the Dutlu Mosque (Dutlu Camii). Not much is known about its history but it dates back to the 18th century. The mosque has two minarets. The first is a small older minaret built in the baldachin style, with four columns and a cone on the top. Right next to it is a newer and much taller fluted minaret.
Zeydem Suites
On my most recent trip to Cappadocia in June 2022, we stopped for lunch at our tour company’s offices and hotel, Zeydem Suites. They own a beautiful hotel situated in old stone homes surrounding an open courtyard.
The hotel restaurant serves Turkish and international cuisine. I had mushrooms stuffed with cheese while the rest of the group had pasta or kebabs. Food was very good and prices were reasonable.
