Panorama of Göreme as seen from a hill-top on the south-east side of the town, early in the morning. In the distance a hot air balloon has landed after a sunrise tour. On the right side you can see the open square around Müze Cad where the long-distance buses operate from. The large rock with several "windows" in it to the right of the center of the photo is the Roma Kalesi, the "Roman Castle", a fairy-chimney with a rock-cut Roman Tomb. The main street, Isali Cad, is visible as a green line of trees horizontally across the photo. In the upper left corner of the photo you can see Uchisar, a neighbouring village located around a tall, characteristic rock with many caves inside.

The history of Love Valley dates back to at least Roman times. There goes a legend that there once was two dynasties living in the same village. A fight broke out between the two dynasties, which resulted in the village effectively being split. One day, two villagers complained about the situation which resulted in the recruitment of two people from opposing sides. The two recruited soldiers fell in love with each other as soon as they saw each other. The feuding villagers, having had knowledge of this, tried their best to separate the two but failed. After they struggled to separate the two, the villagers decided to get them married. Finally, they killed the boy. The girl couldn't stand her husband's death and later committed suicide. It is said that after the death of the two lovers, God rained stones to punish the feuding villagers. These stones are to kill anyone who opposes the reunion of youth.

Avanos' most important industry is pottery production, an industry which probably dates back to Hittite times and which makes use of clay from the red silt of the Kızılırmak. The town is also a popular tourist destination because of its attractive old town and riverside location.

The ancient name was Enegup. Caves may have first been built in the soft volcanic rock by the Phrygians, an Indo-European people, in the 8th–7th centuries BC, according to the Turkish Department of Culture

The remains of the Zelve monastery complex are located on the northern slopes of Aktepe, 1 km from Paşa Bağlari and 10 km out from Göreme on the Avanos road. Zelve does not have the rich frescoes of Göreme and other Cappadocian locations. Zelve is spread out over three valleys, of which two are connected by a tunnel. The complex contains innumerable rooms and passages which also house many pointed fairy chimneys with large stems, at about 40 feet above the valley floor.

Paşabağı, formerly known as the ‘Valley of the Priests’, is notable for its distinctive fairy chimneys. These multi-bodied and multi-headed natural formations were carved by humans to serve as chapels and living spaces. One of the three-headed fairy chimneys has a chapel built in the name of St. Simeon, which also contains a cell. Saint Simeon, who lived an ascetic life in the vicinity of Aleppo in the fifth century, escaped from the intense interest of the populace. When rumours circulated that he was performing miracles, he sought refuge initially on a two-metre-high column and subsequently on a fifteen-metre-high column. He resided there for an extended period.