It is possible to examine the history of Urgup, whose history dates back to ancient times, by turning the pages of the history of Cappadocia. It connects the west-east, north-south directions in ancient times as it does today. 

The Macedonians (Alexander the Great), the Romans, the Conquerors and Yavuzs, and the Ottoman sultans who followed them all passed through this region and made their supplies here. The region was called “Katpatuka” during the Assyrian period and “Cappadocia” in classical times. Urgup was an area that could not be shared between the Egyptians and the Egyptians due to the fact that it was covered with a layer of tuff and was very soft and helped to protect it, and caused frequent wars due to its strategic importance. It is evidenced by archaeological witnesses, historical records and live examples that Ürgüp and its vicinity, which has gathered the most favorable conditions endowed by nature and its strategic value, has led a very rich, fervent and colorful life in the past.
Until the emergence of sciences such as Hittitology, Sumerology and Ancient Languages Physiology, our knowledge did not exceed the first century BC with the semi-legendary information of Greek historians. In the 19th century, with the sciences mentioned above, it was possible to see the traces of settlement in Cappadocia going back to 5000-4000 BC.
The arrival of writing in Anatolia was spread by the Assyrians who established commercial colonies in this region in 2000 BC. The Hittite Kingdom ruled in 1000 BC. Cappadocia, which united with the Lydian Kingdom in the sixth century BC and witnessed a great civilization, later fell under Persian rule in 521 BC.

The Macedonian King Alexander the Great, who passed through the region in 334 BC, came under the sovereignty of Alexander the Great and Alexander the Great appointed one of his commanders to administer this region on his behalf. Ariarrathes I, whom he appointed, established the Kingdom of Cappadocia in 323 BC, thus the sovereign, the Great Kingdom of Cappadocia took its place in the pages of history and Ürgüp, which is right in the region, lived its heyday. Urgup and Kemerhisar and Kayseri cities were also among the civilized cities of Cappadocia. During this period, nearly 30 thousand people lived in Ürgüp.
The Kingdom of Cappadocia was invaded by the Romans in 27 BC and became a province of the Roman Empire. With the settlement of Christianity in this region, churches and chapels were built by Christians since 53 AD, and the region became a refuge for Christians persecuted in Jerusalem and Syria. In particular, despite the persecution of pagan Rome, Christianity found the opportunity to develop in the Urgup region, and both the caves dug by the Ethiopians and the valleys formed as a result of volcanic and erosional activities became the refuge of the first Christians fleeing persecution and death. Upon the granting of religious freedom to Christians in 336 AD, Christianity spread rapidly in the Cappadocia region and the column became the religious center of the priests who retreated to seclusion. Many churches that can be visited today were built from the 5th century onwards and began to be painted after the removal of Iconoclasm in 842. 

In 395, after the Roman Empire was divided into two, Cappadocia fell to the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire. Cappadocia was in a calm life away from external pressures in the early periods. It remained as a central province during the Justinian period (526-565). This happy period ended with the Sassanid raids in the early VII century. They faced Arab raids from the south under the command of Meslama. It became an outpost of the Byzantine Empire during the wars with the Arabs. During the periodic Arab raids, Kayseri was occupied twice in 647 and 726, Ankara in 838 and Kemerhisar in 806. The Byzantine Empire was able to prevent the Arab raids in the IX century. This critical period, which lasted about 250 years, caused rocky Cappadocia to gain importance. Because the Christian people fleeing from the enemies migrated to these places and took refuge in the caves they carved underground in the rocks and valley slopes. However, Sassanid and Arab raids were not the only reason for this century. The second reason for migration was the persecution and resentment of Iconoclasm.

Iconoclasm, the use or non-use of the arts of depiction, was a subject of debate in Byzantium for a long time. The idea of the embodiment of the Greek conception of God and the abstract conception of God in the East have always been two conflicting conceptions. Although Byzantium had an abstract conception of God, the people needed a concrete conception of God. In 725, Emperor Leo III banned the worship of images. Many icons (pictures and statues of holy people) were destroyed. In 842, Empress Theodora ended the ban on images. Today it is celebrated by the Orthodox as a feast day. Under the influence of the atmosphere of peace and trust that prevailed in the mid-X and XI centuries, the most beautiful works of Rock Cappadocia began to be produced. The churches in Göreme Open Air Museum are products of this period.

Cappadocia was connected to the Karamanoğlu Principality among the principalities that emerged as a result of the collapse of the Anatolian Seljuk State, which was established in 1080 after the 1071 Malazgirt War, under the influence of Mongol raids. During this period, mosques, caravanserais and madrasahs began to emerge next to churches and monasteries. There was no conflict between the Muslim and Christian populations. Turkish Islamic sovereignty did not interfere with the religious thoughts and behaviors of Christian communities. It treated them with tolerance. Church construction continued during this period. The “Church of the Broken Martyrs” in Şahinefendi Village is one of the last rock churches built in Cappadocia.(1216-1217)
When Cappadocia fell under Ottoman rule, the Christian population abandoned its former vibrant life. Rock churches and monasteries were emptied.
Since the erosional results of the erosion created a mystical spirit on people, the Urgup region has become a place for those who prefer a mystical life and a place of retreat for those who dream of the “Afterlife” to prepare for life after death. 

ÜRGÜP NAME

HAIOS or AYIOS is the name of a priest who lived in the second century AD and his Latin pronunciation is “PROKOPIOS”. (Prof.Dr. Bekir KÜTÜKOĞLU) As in Turkish, in the words “geldim”, “git”, “git”, “kaltım”, the “-tim”, “-dım” charms are dropped and it becomes “gel, git, kal”. In Latin, “-ıos”, -ım, -ın” jewelry is dropped and PROKOP remains, it is called ÜRGÜP as different from ‘Pireküp’. The Seljuk pronunciation of “PROKOP” is “PIREKÜP”. 

Today there is a town south of Belgrade named Ürgüp from the same name. In his work “Les Eglises Rupestres de Cappadoce” and in the map number 2 he added to the work, it is written as “PROKOPIOS” instead of Ürgüp.