Avanos (Venessa)

The ancient name of the town of Avanos, which lies 18km to the northeast of Nevsehir, is Vanessa. The main economic activity in the town is pottery, a craft dating back to the Hittite period. The red clay which is worked by local craftsmen comes from the residue in the Kizilirmak river.

On the banks of the Kizilirmak, near to Avanos, a marble sarcophagus was found in a Roman necropolis. It is particularly interesting as it is the first sarcophagus to have been found in the area. The sacrophagus was discovered in 1971, but unfortunately someone had already opened the gable roof lid and stolen the contents. After pathological and paleonthropological tests on the sarcophagus it was established that the body belonged to a woman, whose hair was dyed with henna.

The 13th century Sarihan caravanserai and the Ottoman Aladdin mosque are interesting examples of architecture in the area.