 Avanos
at a glance
|
 AVANOS...
Avanos is a county known for the craftsmenship,
natural beauty, old houses and artistic people of Cappadocia
area. Kızılırmak divides the county into two. The suspension
bridge and the stone bridge unite the two sides. One side
of Avanos is named as New Avanos while the other side is
named as Old Avanos. The Old side has been under protection
by the Ministry of Culture and the dwellings are made up
of stone or hollowed in rock. There are accommodations which
are mostly restored old houses, among which is Avanos Evi,
and pottery workshops, regional rug and carpet weaving and
selling warehouses going on since the Hittites in these stone
and hollowed rock dwellings.
Avanos is a possible base for exploring Cappadocia
with accommodation and services available at reasonable rates.
It is hot during the day while it is cold during
the night in Avanos. Bring your clothes considering this.
Avanos is a tranquil place; it is not tiring,
you enjoy yourself and rest.
 Historical
sites in Avanos
KIZILIRMAK (RED RIVER)
The spirit of Avanos! The source of the region’s
greenery and water. You can catch and fish, you can make
potteries from its mud and make bricks from its soil. The
most important factor that made Cappadocia area a place of
constant settlement for civilizations throughout history
(Great civilizations were always established by river sides).
"Yayin" fish is one of the most
delicious and boneless fish of the river.
POTTERY
Avanos is known for the art of pottery by using
kick wheel since the Hittites. This craftsmenship has come
to this day by passing on from people to people and from
father to son. Soft and oily clay soil gathered from Avanos
mountains and old beds of Kızılırmak is sifted and is turned
into mud after a neat pugging. The desired pottery is created
by shaping the mud with some skill on a bench called kick
wheel and steered by using your feet. After the potteries,
which are created in workshops called “işlik”, are dried
first in the sun and then in the shadow, they are fired into
the ovens that burn with straw and chippings between 800
and 1200 degrees with great care.
Food dishes, water jugs, pots and jars for preserving food for
winter, water jars are some kinds of potteries. Avanos is known
as the “The Craftsmenship and Shopping Center of Cappadocia”.
How
to reach other sites in Cappadocia
|
Avanos is in the center of Cappadocia area
and is very close to the places to visit.
You can organize your trips by city busses,
rental cars or guided daily tours.
Zelve
|
5 min
|
Saruhan
|
5 min
|
Goreme
|
10 min
|
Uchisar
|
15 min
|
Urgup
|
15 min
|
Derinkuyu
|
30 min
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People
of Avanos
|
 Hospitable
Friendly
Good
neighbours
Artistic
Activities
in Avanos
|
Pottery Workshops
After your tour is over you can go to Avanos
downtown and see the pottery and ceramics workshops. I strongly
recommend that you try to do some pottery work by using the
bench called kick wheel and steered by using your feet.
Horse-riding
You can ride a horse in horse farms in Avanos
or you can participate in half-day or full-day horse tours
and explore the Fairy Chimneys on horse back.
Whirling Derviches Ceremony
You can watch this interesting and magnificient
Ceremony in a historical Carevansarai called Saruhan,
which is 5 minutes to Avanos.
More about Whirling
Derviches Ceremony
Turkish Night
You can join the entertainments in which meal
is served and not served in cave dwellings in Avanos.
What
to eat & drink
|
Pleasure of the Terrace in Avanos Evi
You can see the entire Cappadocia area from
the terrace of your house. Avanos, Zelve, Çavuşin, Göreme,
Uçhisar, Kizilirmak River and Mount of Erciyes. Enjoy Avanos
by watching the perfect match of Cappadocia and Kızılırmak.
The grill is ready for you in the house. You can buy your
meat from the butcher’s down the town hall.
Those who like to have a quick snack
In the square at the entrance of the suspension
bridge there are many places that sell pancakes (gözleme),
bazlama and döner. You can also eat hamburger or pizza in
the downtown square in the fastfood shop.
Downtown Restaurants
You can find pitta (pide), lahmacun, various
kebaps and pottery kebap in many of the restaurants in the
downtown.
Floating and Boat Restaurants
Those who love to eat with the company of
the sound and flow of the river, on Kızılırmak, you won’t
be disappointed.
Regional Home Cookings
You can taste the delicious regional meals
and wine in Bizim-Ev restaurant, in a place full of restored
old Avanos houses.
You can find the best bazlama and keskiç bread in Zerdali Restaurant
at the entrance of Avanos.
The Grillers
If you are the type that carries grill in your
car boot, then Kızılırmak riverside is the right place for
you.
Cafés
Along the Kızılırmak river, you can find many
teagardens and cafés, where you can drink your tea, coffee
and water pipe while you are reading your newspaper.
Discos & Bars
There are a lot of cave bars and discos, where
you can find live music.
What
to buy
|
 Pottery
and Plates
You can buy the hand-made pots and plates at
very reasonable prices for your house and garden from about
300 workshops. It would be more fun to buy from workshops
by listening to the salesmen’s humorous utterances in Avanos
rather than to buy from the cold shelves of the supermarkets
in big cities by looking at their labels although the products
that are made in Avanos can be found with higher prices in
big supermarkets as well.
 Embossed
Work
You will be amazed by the embossed works with
various figures, which are made from Avanos red clay, that
can be used in both interior and exterior decoration of places.
You can see them in beikaya workshop.
Wine
You can obtain the regional wine from the factories.
Especially the white wine of Cappadocia is excellent. Even
the cheapest one is exceptionally good.
 Rugs
and Carpets
You can satisfy your interest for rugs and
carpets from the two giant carpet store or from the many
small shops in the downtown in Avanos. You should definitely
see the Avanos carpets if you have a collection. You can
buy carpet pillow or carpet couch for your “Şark Corner”
as wel
Health
institutions
|
There are two clinics, one private medicine
center, a state hospital 15 km away in Nevşehir and a faculty
of medicine 50 km away in Kayseri.
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