Like many towns in Cappadocia, central Turkey, Mustafapaşa had a largely Greek population in Ottoman times. Turks and Greeks lived side by side, and the sound of church bells mingled with the call to prayer from the mosque. Today it is a thriving town with a university but it has retained a real-life Turkish atmosphere. Called Sinasos by its Ottoman Greek residents, it is still called that today by many local people.

As you stroll through the narrow streets of Mustafapaşa, admire the magnificent frescoes of the Church of Constantine and Helen, one of the town’s most famous monuments. It is dedicated to Constantine the Great and his empress, Helena. The frescoes date from 1895 and were created by a Greek artist named Kostis Meletyades who had trained in Venice. The grape theme, symbol of fertility, really makes sense here as wine production continues to be a major part of the local economy.