no alt text

Bucket list experience:

Last updated: 20 May, 2023
Expert travel writer: Jeremy Seal

The Cappadocian town of Avanos has for centuries – been renowned for its pottery – traditionally made by men. (Women traditionally make carpets). It’s thought the tradition started in Hittite times, 2000-1500 BC.

The town benefits from two major natural advantages for pottery-making. First, the oily and soft red clay soil collected from the Kizilimark River delta is ideal for pottery shaping.

Second, the local tufostone rock is easy to cut and shape into ceramic kilns for heating; it’s also an insulating stone, essential for achieving temperatures of between 950 and 1200 degrees Celsius to turn the clay into ceramic.

Third, the soft bedrock also allows potters to carve out studios; these semi-caves maintain a stable temperature across the varied seasons.

You’ll find studios hune into the rock at every turn, where you can watch the potters at work, and purchase some beautiful ceramics of exceptional quality.

Price: Free
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around
Duration: 1-2 hours

Recommended itineraries by our writers that include this experience

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Cappadocia: Pottery Workshop with Free Transfer

Cappadocia: Pottery Workshop with Free Transfer

Goreme

Cappadocia, a region in central Turkey, is known for its rich history and unique landscapes, but it is also renowned for its traditional pot...

$2 | Rating 4.75 / 5 [4 ratings]

Website >

Tour supplied by:

Viator Logo

Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first

Ariana Luxury Lodge

Uchisar, Central Anatolia, Turkey[9.4 miles]

Hyper-stylish eco-escape in a secluded location. with a fine restaurant, dramatic views – and a central setting between the towns of Uchisar and Goreme.

Official star rating:

Museum Hotel

Uchisar, Central Anatolia, Turkey[9.5 miles]

Beautifully-restored cave hotel rich in period features and antique decorations, with wonderful views over Cappadocia’s heartlands.

Official star rating:

Argos in Cappadocia

Uchisar, Central Anatolia, Turkey[9.9 miles]

Chic, fully serviced boutique hotel combining impeccable looks, memorable setting and among the best views in Cappadocia.

Official star rating:

Kale Konak Hotel

Uchisar, Central Anatolia, Turkey[9.9 miles]

Brilliantly-run boutique hotel occupying a warren of wonderful cave rooms in a delightful and panoramic Uchisar setting.

Official star rating:

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Cappadocia

Central Anatolia, Turkey

Surreal shaped landscapes rich in troglodytic ruins, walking trails and delightful cave hotels in the ancient heart of Anatolia.

Website >
Overview >

Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first

Carpet weaving in Avanos

Avanos, Central Anatolia, Turkey[0.1 miles]

Cappadocia’s famous carpets are hand-made using locally sourced wool and natural dyes, using centuries-old traditional methods. They’re especially prized for their exceptional quality, intricate patterns, and vibrant colours.

Best for ages: 13+ | Free | 3+ hours

Website >
Overview >

Walk the Rose Valley

Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey[6 miles]

A beautiful and undemanding 6km valley trail, with rock churches and formations galore, that offers walkers a grand glimpse of the surreal Cappadocian back country.

Best for ages: 8+ | Free | 3 hours

Website >
Overview >

Hot-air balloon flights over Cappadocia

Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey[7.5 miles]

One of the world’s great hot-air balloon flights, over a moonscape-esque landscape of arches, caverns, striking spires and eye-popping, giant protuberances resembling gigantic mushrooms.

Best for ages: 10+ | £75 | 4 hours

Website >
Overview >

Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..

Guray Museum
Experience

Guray Museum

Avanos, Central Anatolia, Turkey[0.9 miles]

Huge underground ceramics museum, with impressive collections of ancient clay pieces and other archaeological artefacts displayed in illuminated halls, plus pottery demonstrations and sales.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

Website >
Overview >
A photo of a natural orange rock curving round in a semi circle.
Experience

Walk through the Zelve Open-Air Museum

Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey[4.9 miles]

This 2km walk (from the ticket office) leads you through this beautiful Cappadocian valley, inhabited until the middle of the 20th-century, taking in churches, stables, and monks’ refectories.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free | 1+ hours

Website >
Overview >
Beautiful mountains and Red valley at sunset in Goreme, Cappadocia in Turkey.
Experience

Sunsets at the Red & Rose Valleys

Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey[6.5 miles]

The region is famous for its sunsets, most famously over the Red and adjacent Rose Valley, so-called for the pinkish tones the soft tufa stone acquires at sunset. Watch the show from the Goreme National Park’s Panorama Viewpoint, lined with simple cafes.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free | 2 hours

Website >
Overview >
Galerie Ikman
Experience

Galerie Ikman

Goreme, Central Anatolia, Turkey[8 miles]

An Aladdin’s cave of a carpet shop, a warren of rooms packed with flat-weave kilims both from the region and Turkey’s other renowned carpet regions, piled, hung and draped in picturesque profusion.

Best for ages: 13+ | Free

Website >
Overview >