Keşlik Monastery

Overview

Keşlik Monastery is a rock-cut monastery near the village of Cemil, south of Mustafapaşa and Ürgüp in Cappadocia. Monks carved it into a group of rock cones, with two churches, a refectory and a sacred spring. Today, it stands among the fruit trees of an orchard.

The History of Keşlik Monastery

The oldest paintings here go back to the ninth century. The monastery then grew in the early 13th century, and it was abandoned around 1300. Much later, in the 19th century, the local Greek community restored one of the churches. They used it until the 1920s.

The Churches of Keşlik Monastery

The two churches stand a short walk apart, each cut into its own mass of rock.

The Church of the Archangel Michael

This church has two naves, an older one and a second added around 1200. An inscription dates its paintings to 1217–18. Centuries of candle smoke have darkened the walls, so give your eyes a moment to adjust.

The Church of St. Stephen

St. Stephen's was a funerary church, and nine graves lie in the floor of its nave. Then look up: geometric patterns and vines cover the flat ceiling.

The Refectory and the Spring

The refectory is the room people remember. Monks cut its tables and benches from the rock, and more than a hundred people could eat here. Its floor rises toward the back of the hall. Nearby, a sacred spring runs in spring and summer, and a wine press survives in the rock.

Visiting Keşlik Monastery

A caretaker looks after the site and keeps it locked in the colder months, opening it on request. So we check before we drive out. Our guide Akın Doğan recommends it to people with time in Cappadocia.

Updated: November 5, 2026.

Keşlik Monastery with Us

Tell us your dates, and we plan Keşlik Monastery into a day south of Ürgüp, along with Sobesos or our tour of Soğanlı and Mustafapaşa.