Ürgüp

Ürgüp lies in Cappadocia in central Anatolia. Its old stone houses cluster around Temenni Hill, amid a region known for rock-cut dwellings and churches. In Byzantine times the settlement was called Osiana; its Greek name Prokopi was associated with Saint Procopius. The Seljuk period left monuments including the six-sided Altı Kapılar tomb of a military commander. Turkish and Christian communities later lived in the town under Ottoman rule. Vineyards and cultivation formed part of life in the surrounding valleys, while the soft rock provided space for buildings and storage. The town's history reflects successive communities using the distinctive landscape of Cappadocia.