The hotel has a wonderful location, right in the heart of Goreme's historic old village, with spectacular views looking out towards Uchisar and Cavusin. Until 1993 Kelebek was the owners family home, and like most homes in Goreme, it was made of a mixture of cave rooms and stone-arched rooms which were added later. But the history of the site stretches right back to prehistory, to the days when the eruption of Mt Erciyes and then the effects of wind and rain on the tuff created our two fairy chimneys.

In medieval times the rooms in the top of these two chimneys served as simple chapels for local hermits; one of them even has a frescoed cross on the ceiling. The family used these caves to raise pigeons, store grapes, even to house a small library. Today the Butterfly Hotel has 16 rooms, some of them in the fairy chimneys, some in caves and some of them in the traditional arched rooms.

Upstairs in the reception area, there is a traditional-style open fireplace, and you can watch satellite TV news channels in English, there is a small book exchange and plenty of games. Collected on the terraces alongside the plants are all sorts of odds and ends that will give you an idea of how life used to be lived in the village.

Goreme has a population of around 2000 people, many of them still living in cave-houses and following a traditional way of life. Despite televisions, washing machines and solar heating panels adding a modern twist, the village still maintains its authentic charm.