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the town |
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the houses |
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the church |
In the strange and wonderful landscape of Cappadocia is the old, tranquil
and picturesque town of Mustafapaşa 5 km from Ürgüp.
Known formerly as Sinassos, this is a small town of 2500 inhabitants
where originally Turks and Greeks lived side by side, and the sound
of church bells mingled with the call to prayer from the mosque. The
road to Mustafapaşa winds through a green valley watered by many tiny
streams and is lined by rustling poplars. The old
houses of the town nestle at the foot of Golgoli, a high hill
of Cappadocia’s yellow volcanic rock. As you enter the central square
you encounter a magnificent building on the left. This is Sinassos
Hotel, originally the private residence of an Anatolian Greek who
owned shops in Istanbul’s Fish Market and had this house built in
1892. Further along the road leading off the square is Şakir Paşa
Medrese, an Ottoman period university college with an intricately
carved portal now housing a traditional carpet centre. It was constructed
in the 19th century by Mısırlı Şakir Paşa to educate the sons of Turkish
families in the town. Adjoining the medrese are two houses with large
courtyards dating from the beginning of this century. Over the gate
of one is the date, 1900, and the name of the owner. Opposite Şakir
Paşa Medrese is the Aşağı Mosque, formerly known as Camii Kebir, dating
from 1600, although the portico and one minaret are recent additions.
The old minaret is in Seljuk style, in interesting contrast to the
new minaret.
Mustafapaşa was given tourism site status in 1981, and the 93 traditional
stone houses in the town dating from the late 19th and early 20th
century are under conservation order and awaiting restoration. Passing
several of these brings you to a second square, on which stands the
Church
of Constantine and Helen
,
one of the town’s foremost monuments. It is dedicated to Constantine
the Great and his empress, Helena. The frescos date from 1895 and
were executed by a Greek artist named Kostis Meletyades who had been
trained in Venice. Seated at tables on the pavement outside the cafés
around the square, elderly men sip their tea as they play backgammon
or watch the visitors to the town with curiosity and smile in greeting.
Another old building on the square houses the local library, and next
to that is the Taş Fırın bakery of Mustafapaşa whose bread is famed
throughout Cappadocia. The town is surrounded by apricot, apple and
pear orchards, and vineyards. Wine production is a major part of the
local economy, and there are two wine factories with a total output
of around 600 tons per year, all of which is sold to local hotels
and restaurants. As well as wine, the small black grapes of the region
are used to make pekmez, or grape treacle. When autumn comes the local
women tuck up the legs of their baggy şalvar and set about the task
of making pekmez for the winter. The technique is the same as that
used by the Hittites thousands of years before! The grapes are heaped
into shallow stone pits and the women tread barefoot on them to crush
out the juice, which is then siphoned off into huge cauldrons placed
on wood fires in the garden. The people of Mustafapaşa are friendly
to strangers and always ready for a chat or to invite them into their
homes. Two of the oldest inhabitants of the town, Şabat Topuz and
Süleyman Temur, are delighted to find listeners for their ancient
local tales. The houses built of the soft local stone are cool in
summer and war
m
in winter. Some are now run as guest houses or small hotels. The hills
around are filled with Byzantine rock churches, chapels and monasteries.
In the Gömede valley are the churches of St. Steven and St.
Basil, and 2 kilometres away is the Church of St. Nicholas. Another
church of St. Basil in a nearby valley is a three story rock church
whose interior is decorated with frescos depicting scenes from the
bible. So if you plan a holiday in Cappadocia, do not miss visiting
Mustafapaşa, or perhaps make it your base for touring this fascinating
region of Central Turkey.
Photos of Sinasos
Photos of the houses in Sinasos and
Photos of the church of Constantine and Helen in Sinasos  |
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