The Göreme Open Air Museum is a UNESCO World Heritage Site about 10 kilometres from Urgup, containing a remarkable cluster of rock-cut Byzantine churches and monasteries dating from the 10th to 12th centuries. The churches are carved directly into the volcanic tuff and decorated inside with vivid frescoes — scenes from the life of Christ, portraits of saints, complex theological narratives painted in the warm ochres and blues that survive surprisingly well in the dry Cappadocian climate.
The site is busy with visitors, especially in spring and autumn. Come early in the morning to get ahead of the tour groups and see the frescoes in the best light. The Dark Church (Karanlık Kilise), which costs extra to enter, has the best-preserved frescoes because its tiny windows let in so little light over the centuries. The walk between churches through the valley, with its fairy chimneys and carved-rock facades, is scenic in its own right.