Avanos is a town in Nevşehir Province in the Cappadocia region of Central Anatolia, Turkey, located 18 km (11 mi) north of Nevşehir, the capital city of the province. It is the seat of Avanos District. Its population is 14,968 (2022). Historically known as Venessa, modern Avanos stands on the banks of the longest river of Turkey, the Kızılırmak, the ancient Halys.

Göreme is a district of the Nevşehir Province in Turkey. After the eruption of Mount Erciyes about 2.6 million years ago, ash and lava formed soft rocks in the Cappadocia region, covering a region of about 20,000 square kilometres (7,700 sq mi). The softer rock was eroded by wind and water, leaving the hard cap rock on top of pillars, forming the present-day fairy chimneys. People of Göreme, at the heart of the Cappadocia region, realized that these soft rocks could be easily carved out to form houses, churches, and monasteries. These Christian sanctuaries contain many examples of Byzantine art from the post-iconoclastic period. These frescos are a unique artistic achievement from this period.