“Green Tower” Population: 500
Old name: Teney
Three km northwest of Niğde town centre, the village of Yeşilburç is perched on the lip of a valley with a fine view out over trees and rocks. It’s only specific attraction is an early 19th-century church with a reasonably pretty stone tower that has been turned into a mosque (and is kept locked). Unfortunately when I visited in May 2014 a tree was growing out of the tower so it’s debatable how much longer it can survive. The ruins of a hamam are nearby. There is also a second ruined church dedicated to Aya Teodoros (St Theodore, 1885) although I didn’t see it.
Many of the villagers here are descendants of Greek-speaking “Turks” from Kivotos (Krifçe) who were “returned” here from the Thessaloniki area during the Graeco-Turkish population exchange of 1924.
Transport info
There are hourly buses to Yeşilburç from Niğde town centre although they don’t leave from the local bus terminal. Instead you should turn right out of the bus terminal and walk straight uphill until you come to a traffic roundabout where you’ll see a sign for Yeşilburç pointing straight ahead. Walk a little way along that road and take a turn on the left and there amid the houses you will eventually find the bus. It leaves at quarter past every hour during the day and returns from Yeşilburç on the hour.
As it’s downhill all the way back you might want to walk so long as you don’t mind having to look at the litter as you go.
