Guide Books - Open Road Publishing Turkey Guide

Yunak Evleri is in the best sense the son of Esbelli Evi. Construction was undertaken with thoughtful input from the owner of the Esbelli, and the result is impressive.

Owner Yusuf Görürgöz began his ambitious project in 1998, taking it upon himself to renovate and renew a small community of ruined stone-carved buildings that occupied a south-facing cliffside in upper Ürgüp. Work ended in 2000, and from the moment you turn onto the cobbled entry road, curving uphill between low stone walls, you are in a compound where everything is as it should be. The centerpiece is a renovated Greek mansion that now serves as the reception and dining area, and rooms are arrayed in the cliff walls behind.

And what rooms they are: like the Esbelli Evi, each room is cut into the stone, with dark, hardwood floors as flush as the eccentric angles of the cave walls allow, metal bed frames, down comforter covers, and bathrooms clad in marble with heavy white towels. The small touches -reading lights, built-in cabinets, and patios- are marvelous. In big ways and small, the Yunak Evleri is a success.

Good Turkish buffet meals are served nightly for $15, and meet the same high standard. To get there: follow the main road from Ürgüp city center uphill toward Göreme, turning right before Surban Hotel.