Avanos, 18 km north of
Nevşehir was named
Venessa in the antique age. The history of
Avanos, as per the archeologic researchs, dates back to the 2nd century
BC. Settlement in
Avanos which comprises 24 archeological building layers has continued until the
Byzantine period. It is another fact known that during the
Byzantine period the
Christian culture settled here and that frescoes were put inside the fairy chimneys. Pottery is a tradition in this town where numerous pottery workshops are available. The soft and oily soil obtained from the mountains of Avanos and the old water course of
Kızılırmak are sifted and kneaded into a sort of pug. The pug then is shaped into several forms of pottery on the rotating worktable in the hands of
Avanos’ craftsmen. The pots which are produced in the workshops called “İşlik” are first dried in the sun then in the shade and then carefully cooked in kilns heated between 800 and 1200 degrees. This tradition still continues and tourists visiting the town are given the chance to produce pots as well.
