Like most of Cappadocia, Uçhisar once made a living from agriculture but now depends almost entirely on tourism, with many of its fine old stone houses turned into boutique hotels.

French incomers and Turks returning from France have played a large part in the move to convert the houses into hotels.

[3] Uçhisar was first mentioned in a 14th-century chronicle by Aziz ibn Ardasir although the general area had been occupied from much earlier, perhaps from Hittite times.

It was cut out of tuff (a type of rock) in earlier times and probably served as a link from the castle-fortress to the outside world and as a way of protecting their water supply.

The Pigeon Valley (Güverçinlik Vadisi) runs between Uçhisar and neighbouring Göreme, a walk of around two hours.