Mustafapaşa
Mustafapaşa, the old Greek town of Sinasos in Cappadocia: stone mansions built with caviar money from…
Photo: Robot8A / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Sobesos
A 4th-century town of stone near Şahinefendi, south of Ürgüp, with mosaic floors in a villa that later became a church.
Overview
Sobesos is an ancient town near the village of Şahinefendi, south of Ürgüp in Cappadocia. Its buildings date from the 4th century AD, and some of its floors still carry their mosaics. Elsewhere in the region, people carved their homes and churches into the rock. Here, they built in stone on open ground, so the visit shows you another side of Cappadocia.
The Discovery of Sobesos
The site came to light by chance in 2002, in the fields around the village. Excavations then uncovered a bath, houses, a cemetery and religious buildings. The full size of the town is still not known, so the walls you see may be only part of it.
What to See at Sobesos
A path leads you through the low walls, with a flat-topped hill on the horizon.
The bath
The path starts at the bath, which belongs to the same early town.
The villa and its mosaics
The great house of Sobesos stands under a protective roof. Its mosaic floors use geometric patterns, and the meander is among them. Look down between the stone blocks to find them.
From villa to church
Later, the villa became a church, and graves gathered around it. After that, a small chapel went up on part of the old floors. So one building holds several chapters of the town's life.
Who Sobesos Suits
We suggest it for anyone who has already seen the painted churches of the Göreme Open-Air Museum. Our guide Akın Doğan names it as a favorite, and Selim Özyürek also sends guests here.
Updated: November 5, 2026.
Sobesos with Us
Tell us your dates, and we add Sobesos to a day in the south of the region, with a guide and a car. It sits well with Keşlik Monastery, Mustafapaşa and our tour of Soğanlı and Mustafapaşa.
Things to See & Do
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Museum
Göreme Open-Air Museum
A Byzantine monastery carved into the rock of Cappadocia: the Dark Church, the Apple and Snake…
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Keşlik Monastery
A rock-cut monastery near Cemil, south of Ürgüp, with two painted churches and a refectory carved…
Map
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Gallery
Frequently asked questions
Where is Sobesos?
Sobesos lies near the village of Şahinefendi, south of Ürgüp in Cappadocia. We drive you there and plan it into a day in the south of the region.
How old is Sobesos?
Its buildings date from the 4th century AD. The site came to light by chance in 2002, and its full size is still not known.
What can you see at Sobesos?
You see the walls of the town, a bath and a villa with mosaic floors under a protective roof. The villa later served as a church. Your guide explains each phase.
