Ürgüp · Kayakapı quarter
Bridal makeup at Kayakapı Premium Caves
Forty-two rooms carved into the soft rock of Ürgüp’s restored Kayakapı quarter, where 18th- and 19th-century tax collectors once built their mansions. Quieter than Göreme, and very photogenic.
Photo: YakupDinler · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
The hotel
What Kayakapı offers.
- Rooms
- 42 cave rooms and suites
- Comforts
- Underfloor heating; some with fireplaces
- Water
- Pool, spa, hammam and sauna
- Dining
- Revithia restaurant and a wine cellar
- Town
- Ürgüp, quieter than Göreme
- Views
- Over the rock houses of the quarter
Ürgüp versus Uçhisar
Why some couples choose the quieter town.
Ürgüp sits a little east of the classic balloon valleys around Göreme and Uçhisar. It is calmer in the evenings, with old stone mansions, wine bars and a more lived-in feel. Kayakapı is part of a restored historic quarter on the town’s slope.
For a shoot, the quarter itself is the backdrop: arches, stone stairways and carved doorways that suit an outfit with detail. On balloon mornings, couples drive the short distance to a viewpoint, so we leave a few extra minutes in the plan.
Cave rooms with underfloor heating are comfortable for a pre-dawn start, and some suites have fireplaces, which make a beautiful setting for getting-ready photographs.
Shoot-day plan
A two-look shoot from Kayakapı.
Look one
Bridal look before dawn in the suite.
Drive
A short transfer to the balloon viewpoint.
Sunrise
Balloon portraits.
Look two
A change back at the hotel for portraits in the quarter.
Around Ürgüp
The town and the quarter.
Quarter etiquette
Shooting in a historic neighbourhood.
Do
- Keep portraits early, before visitors
- Carry the outfit hem on stone stairs
- Use carved doorways as frames
Avoid
- Blocking residents’ paths
- Midday light on pale stone
- Heavy powder in dry air
Evenings in Ürgüp
A town for a relaxed family dinner.
Ürgüp is a working town with wineries, restaurants and old mansions, which makes it pleasant for a family staying a few days. After a sunrise shoot, the bride can rest in a heated cave suite or by the pool, then join the family for dinner at Revithia or in town.
For a small ceremony, the hotel’s terraces look over the quarter’s rock houses. Late-afternoon light on the stone is warm and golden, a flattering setting for a traditional bridal look.
Tejaswini
Who you are booking
Tejaswini has fourteen years of bridal work behind her and runs a studio and academy in Pune. For a two-look morning in Ürgüp she plans the change at the hotel to the minute, so the balloon portrait and the old-quarter portraits both get a fresh bride.
Her work
A few of Tejaswini’s brides.
Video
From the studio.
Soft glam
Polished without heaviness.
Modern bridal glam
A full transformation from bare skin.
Questions
Kayakapı Premium Caves bridal makeup FAQs.
Do you provide Indian bridal makeup at Kayakapı Premium Caves?
Yes. The India-based team travels for shoots and intimate ceremonies and works from the bride’s suite.
Is Ürgüp far from the balloon valleys?
It is a short drive. We add transfer time to the sunrise plan.
Can we do two looks in one morning?
Yes: a bridal look before dawn, then a change at the hotel for portraits in the historic quarter.
Are cave rooms warm enough for an early start?
Kayakapı’s rooms have underfloor heating and some have fireplaces.
Is Kayakapı good for a small wedding ceremony?
Yes, for an intimate group, with terraces overlooking the historic quarter.
Does the hotel have a spa?
Yes, with a pool, hammam and sauna.
Other cave hotels
More Cappadocia hotels.
Uçhisar alternatives.
Kayakapı Premium Caves
Planning an Ürgüp shoot?
Share your dates and plans. We will reply with a schedule, team and itemised quote.
