Ortahisar citadel, built both as a defense and as a settlement, is situated 6km from Ürgüp, on the road to Nevsehir. Typical examples of the area's civilian architecture can be found among the houses skirting the citadel. The sides of the valleys are littered with carved out storage areas used for preserving local products such as apples and potatoes, as well as oranges and lemons brought from the Mediterranean. Very interesting churches and monasteries can be found in the surrounding valleys. Among these are, Sarica church, Cambazli church, Tavsanli church, Balkan Deresi church and Hallac Dere monastery.
19th century Cappadocian houses were built on hill sides, either carved out of the rock or built from large cut stones. Volcanic stone is the only architectural material in the region used for building ; it is soft when extracted and can therefore easily be cut and shaped. It hardens on contact with air to form a very resistant material. The abundance of stone in the area, and the ease of use have created a building technique unique to the area. 
Windows are grouped in twos and threes and stylized plant patterns are also used as decorative borders. Two types of windows are used, either two panes opening separately or guillotine style. 
The most interesting examples of local architecture belong to the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. Examples can be found all over the region, but particularly in Ürgüp, Ortahisar, Mustafapasa, Bashisar, Goreme, Avanos, and in Guzeloz and nearby Baskoy in the province of Kayseri and in Guzelyurt in the vicinity of Ihlara Canyon.
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