NEVSEHIR, Turkey 

As tourism picks up in Turkey thanks to effective COVID-19 safety measures, the picturesque Cappadocia region drew over 150,000 visitors this June, according to the latest official figures.

A total of 150,282 domestic and international tourists came to explore the charming touristic hub in the central Nevsehir province, famed for its distinctive fairy chimneys, underground cities, cave hotels, and hot-air balloon rides, the Nevsehir Culture and Tourism Directorate said in a statement.

Visitors to Cappadocia have a host of attractions to choose from, including the famed Goreme Open-Air Museum, the archeology and ethnography museums in Nevsehir, Urgup and Hacibektas, the Zelve Ruins, the Gulsehir Open Palace Ruins, the atmospheric underground cities of Derinkuyu, Kaymakli, Ozkonak, Tatlarin and Mazi, the early Christian churches of Karanlik, El Nazar and Gulsehir St. Jean, and the Hacibektas Veli Museum and Hacibektas Atatürk House.

In June 2020, near the peak of the pandemic, around 17,000 domestic and foreign tourists visited the museums and ruins in the region.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar