Halfway between Goreme and Avanos there is a sleepy little Chavushin, dominated by a powerful cliff with a cluster of abandoned houses running down the slope in a picturesque mess. The activity center is a group of souvenir stalls that come to life in the middle of the day with the arrival of tourist buses, and when the last bus leaves the town, life freezes here, a period of relaxed silence comes. There is no bank, there are no ATMs.
Charushin is a good starting point for sightseeing hikes to the southeast, along the Gulludere, Kyzylchukur and Meskendyr valleys. You can even get to the Zindanenyu observation deck located 6.5 km away, and then go out on the Urgup-Ortahisar road and catch dolmush to return to your place of lodging.
Chavushin Church
Next to the highway, on the northern outskirts of Chavushin, there is a church, which can be reached by a steep and unreliable metal staircase. This is the first church of Cappadocia from the time of iconoclasm, for many years it served as a dovecote; several interesting frescoes have been preserved here.
Ruins of the Old Village
Climb the hill through the new part of the village and move on, passing the main square, to the old part of Charushin. Here you can explore the complex of uninhabited houses cut right into the rock, located on a steep slope and similar to a maze, as well as one of the oldest in Cappadocia, the Church of John the Baptist, located on the way to the top of the cliff.
