Avanos - Cappadocia is a small town artisans, famous for its ancient pottery tradition and proximity to one of the most famous sights of Cappadocia - Zelve rock city.

The old town of Avanos is located eighteen kilometers north-east of Nevsehir Valley near Kizil Irmak (Red River) - Turkey's longest river (1151 km). The name of the river is due to the color of the water at this point in its course. This is due to the fact that it is rich in iron ore channel and red clay from which you are all ceramic Avanos. The Hittites called this river Marassantiya - it was the border of their empire, and in the Hellenistic period it was called Khalis. In Hittite era was born and the city, who was a frontier outpost and a major trading center, famous for its potters.

Because of the loose clay soil is no cave churches or stone mushrooms in Avanos there. But it occupies a strategic position in the center of Cappadocia - Zelve to (6 km), Cavusin (6 km) and if you want you can walk to Goreme (10 km) and to Ozkonak reached by local bus (25 km).

Avanos has a fairly long history: human settlements discovered in these surroundings date back to the Bronze Age, as evidenced by excavations Toprakly - an ancient burial ground. Avanos is famous for its pottery, made here in the 3rd millennium BC, even after a lot of centuries.

Despite the fact that numerous Greek, Ottoman and Armenian buildings Avanos and picturesque cozy streets of the old quarters are interesting enough in themselves, a real local landmark of this town is pottery, made by master potters.

Local craftsmen make beautiful pottery, which is decorated with geometric patterns and floral designs. This pattern can be found in rugs traditionally produced in Avanos. Manufacture of carpets do not only shops, but also some local women who weave them at home, using the woolen and silk threads. Skilled workers with incredible patience, pull, tie knots in the thread, and then twist them into makeshift wooden looms.

These products are often local production can be contemplated in the streets of the city on the background of houses typical of Muslim architecture, old buildings of tuff blocks on the facades which often features an outdoor balcony. On the main square of Avanos is a monument depicting a potter who worked near the woman at the loom. Every year the city hosts the festival, which celebrated urban artists and exhibit the best examples of ceramics. At the festival you can hear folk songs and music as well as see the dances in traditional costumes.

In picturesque old quarters it dissipated a large array of tiny shops where you can buy utensils made by technology, employed fifteen centuries ago. It should be noted that the master work by natural light, only the dishes are dried in the open air. After several days of drying under the sun ware fired in a furnace for ten hours at a temperature of about 950-1200 ° C.

The town is referred to in recent years, mainly due to the unique museum of hair created Chezom Galip - Turkish skillful potter, which is considered one of the most bizarre museums in the world. Under Galip workshop is an unusual exhibition, consisting of hair about sixteen thousand girls and women. The ceiling, walls and other surfaces except the floor, covered with locks of hair, previously owned by various representatives of the fair sex, who once visited this place, and pieces of paper with their addresses. It all began somewhere thirty years ago in such circumstances. Galip's girlfriend was away from Avanos, and he was very upset about parting with it. That he is not very sad, she cut and left on his memory of his lock of hair. Over the years, the potter amassed a large collection of curls and addresses of women from around the world.

Twice a year, in December and June, the first visitor, who came into the shop, invited down to select the ten so-called "wall of winners." Those lucky get a fully paid week-long tour of Cappadocia, and they have the right to free to try to make yourself something in the workshop Chez Galip. In this way, thanks potter women to help him create this wonderful museum, visited daily by new tourists. Entrance to the museum is free. Women no obligation to donate hair, but if one of them chooses to do so, we always Galip on the hand is a pair of scissors, pen, paper, adhesive tape and pin.

On the north side, above the central part of Avanos, hangs a long cliff, over which there is a big terrace occupied by fields and a cemetery. To find a solution to it from urban areas have to work hard, but it's worth it because you get to the most spectacular place of Avanos. Especially beautiful scenery opens out at sunset. View to the south, the mountains on the other side of the valley huge Kizil Irmak, definitely worth it to get to it.