Cappadocia’s Pigeon Valley set to host visitors at night

ANKARA

The Pigeon Valley, one of the Central Anatolian region of Cappadocia’s most popular historical landmarks, will commence hosting scores of local and foreign tourists after dusk, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy has announced.

“We are making Cappadocia's splendor everlasting in the 101st year of our Republic. With its historical and scenic attractions, the Pigeon Valley, stretching from Uçhisar to Göreme, will now welcome visitors at night,” Ersoy said on social media platform X.

“Becoming the focus of legends, the majesty of this unique place, which we enlighten with the light of our Republic, will never fade,” he further noted.

This move is a part of the ministry’s night museum project, which aims to bring together Türkiye's unique historical places and rich cultural heritage with visitors in a completely different atmosphere after sunset.

The groundbreaking initiative concluded its inaugural summer season with remarkable success especially in tourism hotspot Antalya.

The Alanya Castle, ancient cities of Side, Aspendos, Perge, Phaselis, Patara, Limyra and Myra were all open to nighttime visitors during the summer. In addition, the Antalya Archeology Museum, Side Archeology Museum and Alanya Archeology Museum were also part of this night museology project.

This project, therefore, enabled visitors to leave their accommodations and visit these archeological sites and museums without being affected by heat, providing a more pleasant experience during the busy summer season.

Veysel Akın, a senior official from the Culture and Tourism Ministry, noted that high number of visitors opted to visit the ancient sites in the evening hours during this period.

“We saw excellent results when we examined the visitation statistics of the ancient city of Side. The statistics demonstrate a clear growth in visitor numbers, maybe even surpassing those who arrive during the day,” he explained.

Echoing Akın’s remarks, Professor Feriştah Alanyalı, the head of the Side Ancient City excavations, emphasized that the initiative garnered highly affirmative outcomes.

The night museology initiative also covered sites and museums in Troy in the western province of Çanakkale, extending south to Ephesus in İzmir and Hierapolis in Denizli.