I have written about Avanos before. This small town in Cappadocia, Turkey, did not impress me on my first visit. Back then I described it as deserted and eerie, a place that felt forgotten: “Avanos reminded me of the Wild West films showing deserted streets while playing an eerie whistling tune. I looked up and down the street, completed a full 360 degree turn and the only sign of breathing movement was a stray dog searching through the bins for scrap food. It is a ghost town that seems to have been forgotten and left off the map.”
A friend suggested my November visit may have biased my view and recommended a summer return. So, early May — five years after my first trip — I went back to give Avanos a second chance. The weather looked uncertain; heavy clouds threatened rain throughout the day.
Return to Avanos in Cappadocia
I had booked a private driver and guide, which proved wise given the unsettled sky. He parked across the famous Kızılırmak (Red River) and we crossed toward the main town. On the riverside pier a woman in an elaborate blue dress posed dramatically for photos while her partner waited nearby — they were preparing for portraits taken on a new gondola ride that hadn’t been there before.
The wind made the gondola plans uncertain and left me feeling uneasy as I crossed the long suspension bridge. The bridge swayed with the many pedestrians — it was May Day in Turkey and lots of people were off work.
I recognized the large mosque by the river and wandered through a few streets, but the town’s atmosphere felt much the same as my previous visit. There were more people around, yet the vibe still felt underwhelming. Avanos is not a bad place, but in my view it mainly offers two standout attractions:
Pottery workshops and a particularly unusual hair museum.
Pottery Demonstrations in the Workshops of Avanos
The Red River supplies abundant red clay that local craftsmen have used for centuries. Traditional potter’s wheels turn out everyday items such as cooking pots and wine jugs, and since tourism grew, many decorative souvenirs. The pottery tradition in Avanos remains a living craft and watching the artisans work is worth the visit.
On an earlier trip I sat at a wheel and tried my hand at shaping clay. You probably won’t produce a masterpiece, but giving it a go is a memorable experience. Be aware that pottery demonstrations are often used to encourage souvenir purchases, but even if you don’t buy, the demonstrations themselves are impressive. The skill and speed of the craftsmen, the effortless shaping and the fine details, showcase true artisanal talent.
During this visit a potter spun his wheel, answered visitors’ questions, and welcomed new customers all at once. I filmed some of his work, though one early clip of the clay being shaped looked awkward on camera, so I kept the footage private. The point remains: watching a master at the wheel is captivating.
Chez Galip Hair Museum of Avanos
One of Avanos’s most talked-about oddities is the Hair Museum, created by a local potter named Chez Galip. According to local lore, the collection began when he kept a lock of hair from a woman he loved. Whether the story is entirely true or partly romanticized, the result is a basement room filled with thousands of hair samples.
Visitors enter via narrow steps into a long room whose ceiling and walls are covered with hair bunches — my estimate was tens of thousands of samples. Each lock is tagged with the owner’s name, hometown and date of visit; some tags include portrait photos. The variety includes blond, brunette and vividly dyed hair. It’s a strange, unforgettable display and a notable example of quirky local heritage.
The Hair Museum is a marketing gimmick and a genuine curiosity in one: it draws people into the pottery shop and leaves a lasting impression. While some visitors find it unsettling, others appreciate the personal stories and the craft connection behind the display. Chez Galip remains respected for his pottery skill, even if his hair collection feels eccentric.
In short, Avanos makes a fine half-day or day trip. Take a stroll along the river, join a pottery demonstration, visit the hair museum if you’re curious, and perhaps try the gondola over the Red River. After that, continue exploring Cappadocia’s other, more dramatic sights — the region has many larger and more striking attractions to discover.
