Avanos, Town in Cappadocia, Turkey
Avanos is a town in Cappadocia, Turkey, built along the banks of the Kızılırmak, the longest river in the country. Its old center is made up of narrow stone streets, low houses, and rows of pottery shops and craft workshops that run close to the water.
The pottery tradition in Avanos goes back more than 3,000 years to the Hittite period, when people first used the red clay carried by the river to make everyday objects. That same red clay has remained the basis of the town's craft through every period that followed.
Pottery workshops line nearly every lane in Avanos, and watching a craftsperson shape clay on a foot-powered wheel is a normal part of walking through town. Some workshops, like the well-known Chez Galip, let visitors sit at the wheel and try shaping a piece themselves.
Avanos is easy to get around on foot since the center is compact and most workshops, shops, and cafes sit close together. Spring and autumn are comfortable times to visit, though many studios stay open through winter as well.
Beneath one of the town's pottery shops there is a small underground museum filled with locks of hair left by visitors from around the world over many decades. The collection belongs to the potter Chez Galip and has grown to hold several thousand strands.
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