Kaymaklı: Discover Kuru Kaymağı and Culture

Kaymaklı can be discovered through an unusually specific speciality: Kaymaklı Kuru Kaymağı is registered as a geographical indication. Made from cow’s milk, the kaymak is dry, light and firm, and is shaped into a crescent. Here, a clearly defined place of origin meets an equally precisely described food product.

Kaymaklı Kuru Kaymağı: Origin and production

The geographical indication covers more than just the name. The milk used comes from cows within Kaymaklı’s geographical boundaries. It is cooked for six to seven hours in a sunken tandır oven. The drying phase in particular calls for conditions specific to Kaymaklı and for artisanal skill. The milk’s origin, preparation and drying together offer a concrete introduction to the local food tradition.

A Kaymak festival has been held annually within Kaymaklı’s geographical boundaries since 2006. If you would like to plan your trip around it, check the exact dates in advance. Its annual return makes the festival a seasonal point of reference, without setting a specific date for your trip.

Underground spaces and historic sites

Another defining feature is the underground city of Kaymaklı. Its layout includes interconnected rooms, storerooms, kitchens, ventilation shafts, wells and a church. Large sliding doors were used for security. The facilities combine features of daily life with structural security measures, offering a different perspective on Kaymaklı from the production of Kuru Kaymağı.

Kurşunlu Camii is located on Cevdet Sunay Street and is listed in the cultural inventory updated in 2013 with environmental protection grade 2. A 2025 report documented plans for restoration following fire damage. Check current access before visiting. The Church of Aziz Gregorius, also known as St. Gregorios, is another of Kaymaklı’s historic sites.

A 2018 report described the stone Uzun Ali Konağı as being 106 years old at the time, restored and prepared for tourism. It described four rooms in active use and large hearths where Kaymaklı’s dry kaymak, bread and tandır dishes were made. This account offers a glimpse into the building’s use at the time and the connection between architecture and local food culture.

Nevşehir in the wider region

Beyond Kaymaklı, the wider destination of Nevşehir offers further cultural and landscape themes. Nevşehir’s Merkez İlçe lies in the heart of Cappadocia. The Damat-İbrahim-Paşa Complex is a feature of the area’s architectural history: Nevşehirli Damat İbrahim Paşa had it built in 1726–1727. It comprises a mosque, a medrese, a caravanserai, a primary school, an imaret, a bathhouse and two fountains. The İbrahim Paşa Mosque offers another architectural detail, with its square prayer hall and large dome, which is supported by pendentives.

The Karanlık Kilise, also known as the Dark Church, is located in the Göreme Valley, within a monastic complex in the Göreme Open-Air Museum. It dates to the late 11th or early 12th century. Very little light entered through a small window in the narthex, helping the frescoes retain particularly vivid colours. The frescoes depict scenes from the life of Jesus and representations of saints. The Göreme Open-Air Museum has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a natural and cultural heritage site since 6 December 1985.

Nevşehir’s landscape also offers a distinct contrast to its historic buildings: Güvercinlik Valley stretches four kilometres from Uçhisar to Göreme. It takes its name from the dovecotes carved into the rocks. Uçhisar Castle consists of two pointed fairy chimneys standing directly beside one another and is located on the road between Ürgüp and Göreme.

Choose the right focus for your holiday rental

If Kaymaklı’s food tradition, underground city and historic sites are your priorities, the town offers a clear focus for your trip. If you would also like to include church art, architectural history or landscapes, consider the wider Nevşehir region. Choose your holiday rental based on which of these interests will shape your trip, and plan regional destinations around your preferred route.

Discover more destinations: Ürgüp, Nar, Yeşilöz Köyü, Tuzköyü Belediyesi, Göreme, Boğaz, Kozaklı, Bozca Köyü

Go to the regional travel overview: Nevşehir.