Location

Tafoni Houses is conveniently located in the village of Ortahisar, literally meaning Middle Fortress (named after the massive rock formation in the village center). This is an untouched village in the centre of Cappadocia within a five minutes drive from the famous Goreme Rock Church Outdoor Museum and from Urgup, and ten minutes from the fairy chimneys and the underground city. Ortahisar has never relied on tourism for its income and therefore has maintained its traditional roots. The buildings are picturesque in their simplicity; many consist of tufa blocks laid dry without mortar. The main village income comes from the natural underground storage of the lemons grown on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. The lemons spend four to six months underground in Ortahisar village caves. During this time the juice content of the lemon increases by 90% making them ready for market. During your stay at Tafoni Houses, you will experience traditional Turkish village life in a luxury oasis. Under the massive rock Citadel of Ortahisar, you will find the original village square where local towns people meet; where ladies socialize in the evening the way they have done for hundreds of years; where donkey carts still haul the straw, and flocks of sheep return home at dusk.