Eric F.
Yelp
Cappadocia is located in the Mars-Like rocky hills of the area around the village of Urgüp, not far from the larger city of Kayseri. "Cappadocia, a semi-arid region in central Turkey, is known for its distinctive "fairy chimneys," tall, cone-shaped rock formations clustered in Monks Valley, Göreme and elsewhere. Other notables sites include Bronze Age homes carved into valley walls by troglodytes (LIT. "Cave Dwellers") and later used as refuges by early Christians. The 100m-deep Ihlara Canyon houses numerous rock-face churches" - (Google Basic Fact-Sheets)
My guide in Cappadocia was an older man named Halil (recommended to my by a Russian girl from Perm). Halil was an ex-pat, a carpenter, an intellectual, and a rock-solid advocate for the Cappadocia region (which consists primarily of four continuously inhabited ancient villages and one abandoned city: Urgüp, Görome, Mustafapasa, Uçhisar, and the region's main attraction, Derinkuyu, an ancient multi-level underground city of the Median Empire in the Derinkuyu district in Nevşehir Province, Turkey). The historical region of Cappadocia, in-which Derinkuyu is situated, contains several other historical underground cities, all carved out of the areas unique geological rock formations. Derinkuyu was inhabited until 1923, when the Christian inhabitants of the region were expelled from Turkey and exiled to Greece in Turkey's post WW1 population exchange between Greece and Turkey, whereupon the tunnels were permanently abandoned. I love history, cave-systems, secret-cities, and ancient ruins, so Halil and I connected quite nicely on these things. Halil knew many things, and he showed me many things, both secret and touristic. One of the touristy places that I all-but forced Halil to take me to was a noted tourist spot (I know, I know) called in English, "The Old Greek House Hotel and Restaurant".
The "The Old Greek House Hotel and Restaurant" is nestled in the village of Mustafapaşa. This quaint village, in the heart of Cappadocia, was previously called Sinasos, which means the "The City of the Sun". It was by pure chance that in 1992, the Öztürk family fell in love with the mansion and purchased it. The mansion, known as Asmalı Konak and still serving as a hotel under the name of the Old Greek House, is an old Greek house built in the 1800s. This is the mansion given to a Greek-Turkish immigrant family from Thessaloniki in 1924 due to the population exchange. It was bought by the grandfathers of the Öztürk family, who came to the town as a teacher in 1938, becoming so involved in the restaurant and hospitality-hotel business that they purchased the building and the businesses there, devoting the remainder of their lives to its renovation and history. The Öztürk family remodeled the hotel and converted the entirety of the rest of the Old Greek House into a huge restaurant. And it soon became one of the most celebrated and famous restaurants in Cappadocia. The Öztürk family lived in the Old Greek House until 1992, when they moved . Since then the Old Greek House has continued to thrive as both a lovely and fascinating Boutique Hotel, as well as the most famous restaurant in Cappadocia. The Old Greek House is still run by the Öztürk family, and the famous dishes are all still prepared by the owners wife, Emine. The magic of hundreds of years architecture, art, ceramics, and traditional cuisine are all still vibrant and alive here.
As you enter the doors of Old Greek House be ready to feel the magic of the past and feel the beauty all around you all the while you are eating some of the most delicious dishes of Cappadocia. A walk through the valleys of this undiscovered gem leaves the visitor in awe of its beauty and a sense of timeless history of generations past and present. Stay a few nights in the hotel here, and you will see. The Old Greek House Hotel has six rooms, with one ample "Family Room," two very large suites, and three standard rooms that have all of the amenities that the bigger rooms have (private bath, free Wi-Fi, flat screen TVs, etc.)
This Restaurant itself is located in one of the most beautiful antique stone buildings that I have ever seen. There are common rooms, private rooms, and a patio where guests can smoke freely while eating their dinner.
AND THE FOOD HERE IS GREAT. Try the Raw Beef appetizer. It is safe, and delicious.
