I wrote about the wonderful experience of getting a shave in Cappadocia last week. In this post I write about where to enter into this blissful moment when you are in between tours in this fairy chimneyed landscape.
Over the last couple of months I have sacrificed for your benefit. I have discarded my personal razor and instead visited a different barber every 4 days or so. Even though the top of my head is exiling all of its inhabitants at an alarming rate, my jaw is as fruitful as ever. Nonetheless, I am not a daily shaver so it took me a bit longer to get to 10 kuafors then other more manly men I know.
I have divided up the masters by city, but I want to state clearly that if you have transportation, you should go to Ortahisar as they are the best. Without a car you are still okay as I did not have a bad experience at any of the 10. I can also say that I barely touched the stubble in terms of visiting all the barbers in the region.
Here are a few notes before I begin:
* The price is 5TL. Feel free to leave a tip (2-3TL) if you are satisfied. This is interesting as the experience does vary a bit from place to place. And be assured that this price does include the head, neck, and shoulder massage.
* Expect it to take 30-60 minutes depending on the queue and how thorough your barber is.
* 99% of the barbers will not speak English as they do not see many foreign customers. Even though the barbers generally will not speak anything but Turkish, you will be fine. You simply need to say one of two words: either “Sakal”, which literally means beard, or “tıraş” (pronounced tr-ah-sh), which means shave . If they do not understand you just mumble it while pointing to your jaw/cheeks, and they will understand.
* They will probably offer tea. Take it if you want it. Refusing it is not rude. It is gratis.
* The Turks use the words “Kuafor” and “Berber” to refer to what we call “Barber” in English. I mention this so that when you see the “Berber” sign, you do not think it is the office for refugees from western North Africa.
* Turkish barbers are segregated by gender. Make sure the sign says Erkek Kuafor/Berber. They are usually easy to distinguish by the pictures on the window but not always. My barber in Ankara named his shop Roberts (he said he was a fan of Julia Roberts and asked if I knew her), and he had pictures of famous actresses like Cameron Diaz and Christina Applegate on the wall, but at least his sign had a picture of a guy. This is not so difficult in Cappadocia where the women’s kuafors are usually on the second floor so that no one will see the women with their heads uncovered. And all barbers are men whether for men or women- it is a man’s profession in Turkey.
If you have anymore questions, just write them in the comments below, and I will do my best to find answers.
And with that said, here they are:
ORTAHISAR
1. Kuaför Seyit – On the right side as you head towards the hisar. Nice, clean store with a TV at each station (at least 3 stations). The barbers wear matching shirts (think Laverne & Shirley bowling team). The shave here was the most thorough and gentle. I can’t recommend this one highly enough. (Thank you to @yakupdinler for the recommendation.)
2. First Class Kuaför- Similar to Seyit above and just a few doors down. The barber who shaved me seemed to be in a hurry which meant it was not as gentle, but the experience was still first class (pun intended).
ÜRGÜP
3. Arda Erkek Kuaför Salonu – Going from the center of town on the way to the Migros market, you will see it on the right across the street from the Aksel AVM. This was the best massage of the 10. Adem spoke a little English and the shop was clean with a decent paint job. I can gladly recommend this shop in Urgup. Urgup is a bit far from our house and since this one was so good, I did not feel the need to visit other kuafors in the town. If you want to recommend others, please let me know, and I’ll check them out.
GÖREME
4. Altin Makas – Located across the street from the bus station, behind the school. Clean and professional. I am most likely to go back here as it is closest to my house. I put it fourth but do not let that throw you. These top four are all pretty close. This is the last of the ten that has a nice paint job and would be comfortable for any foreigner.
5. Kapadokya Berber Salonu – Behind the bus station a ways on the right after the big tea house. This guy looked like he was still in his teens, but he did a good job. The shop was a bit rundown with a poor paint job and old furniture. It felt much older and in need of renovation than the first four. This is true for the rest of the shops on the list as well. (I did not have a good picture of this shop. I will try to add one soon.)
The irony in the appearance of these last six is wonderful. The barber, whose sole business purpose is to make men look good, spends next to nothing on the appearance of his shop. The furniture is old, the paint is horrible, the counters are messy. They scream to the world that a woman has never entered the premises. Apparently their customers do not care and honestly I would have barely noticed if I was not planning to write about them.
They all have hair care products, a TV, mirrors, chairs, and a picture or two. They all have their regular customers who seem to mirror the age of the barber. As in the old days in America (see And Griffith show) they are each centers of what’s going on in town. If you want to know the latest happenings in town, go to the barber shop. And apparently they all do decent business without serving the tourists in the least. Maybe this will change that a bit (not doing good business but the fact that tourists do not visit).
AVANOS
6. Nazar Erkek Kuaförü – Past the center of town on the left near the Bim market. These young guys did a great job and seem to be busy most of the time. Their shop has an aquarium as did a few other shops, but otherwise it fits the description above.
7. Berber Mujdat – As you enter the town the road splits; this shop is at the fork on the left. This was the first barber I visited after moving to Cappadocia and would not have visited another if I had not decided to write this post. I found both barbers to be friendly and good at what they do having done it for over 15 years. (They did not have a business card to give me.)
8. Kubali Berber – Come up the hill from the mosque and look on the right side across from the potter’s statue in the town square. This father – son duo are friendly and welcoming; plan to stay and drink tea. This and Mujdat’s above are the shops that feel most authentically Turkish.
9. Imaj Erkek Kuaför – Cross the auto bridge, turn right and head towards the center of town. You will see it on the left near the pitcher-cup fountain. I was struck by how little anyone talked in this shop. They were friendly and the shave was fine but nobody talked which was strange for a barber shop. I thought maybe it was just the time I went, but my friend noticed the same thing when he went.
10. Altin Makas Erkek Kuaför (not related to the Göreme shop)- Diagonally across from the mosque, this small shop was my most painful experience, to be honest. It was not bad at all but deserved to be 10th on this list. They seemed to be used to their regulars and did not know what to make of this foreigner sitting in their chair.
Now, as I said earlier, this list is not exhaustive. I expect that I could continue this for at least another 6 months and never go to the same barber. But choose one on this list, and you will not be disappointed. If you are, come visit me, and I will refund your 5TL.
Be sure to leave a comment after you go to a barber in Cappadocia (or anywhere in Turkey).
* The price is 5TL. Feel free to leave a tip (2-3TL) if you are satisfied. This is interesting as the experience does vary a bit from place to place. And be assured that this price does include the head, neck, and shoulder massage.
* Expect it to take 30-60 minutes depending on the queue and how thorough your barber is.
* 99% of the barbers will not speak English as they do not see many foreign customers. Even though the barbers generally will not speak anything but Turkish, you will be fine. You simply need to say one of two words: either “Sakal”, which literally means beard, or “tıraş” (pronounced tr-ah-sh), which means shave . If they do not understand you just mumble it while pointing to your jaw/cheeks, and they will understand.
* They will probably offer tea. Take it if you want it. Refusing it is not rude. It is gratis.
* The Turks use the words “Kuafor” and “Berber” to refer to what we call “Barber” in English. I mention this so that when you see the “Berber” sign, you do not think it is the office for refugees from western North Africa.
* Turkish barbers are segregated by gender. Make sure the sign says Erkek Kuafor/Berber. They are usually easy to distinguish by the pictures on the window but not always. My barber in Ankara named his shop Roberts (he said he was a fan of Julia Roberts and asked if I knew her), and he had pictures of famous actresses like Cameron Diaz and Christina Applegate on the wall, but at least his sign had a picture of a guy. This is not so difficult in Cappadocia where the women’s kuafors are usually on the second floor so that no one will see the women with their heads uncovered. And all barbers are men whether for men or women- it is a man’s profession in Turkey.
If you have anymore questions, just write them in the comments below, and I will do my best to find answers.
And with that said, here they are:
ORTAHISAR
1. Kuaför Seyit – On the right side as you head towards the hisar. Nice, clean store with a TV at each station (at least 3 stations). The barbers wear matching shirts (think Laverne & Shirley bowling team). The shave here was the most thorough and gentle. I can’t recommend this one highly enough. (Thank you to @yakupdinler for the recommendation.)
2. First Class Kuaför- Similar to Seyit above and just a few doors down. The barber who shaved me seemed to be in a hurry which meant it was not as gentle, but the experience was still first class (pun intended).
ÜRGÜP
3. Arda Erkek Kuaför Salonu – Going from the center of town on the way to the Migros market, you will see it on the right across the street from the Aksel AVM. This was the best massage of the 10. Adem spoke a little English and the shop was clean with a decent paint job. I can gladly recommend this shop in Urgup. Urgup is a bit far from our house and since this one was so good, I did not feel the need to visit other kuafors in the town. If you want to recommend others, please let me know, and I’ll check them out.
GÖREME
4. Altin Makas – Located across the street from the bus station, behind the school. Clean and professional. I am most likely to go back here as it is closest to my house. I put it fourth but do not let that throw you. These top four are all pretty close. This is the last of the ten that has a nice paint job and would be comfortable for any foreigner.
5. Kapadokya Berber Salonu – Behind the bus station a ways on the right after the big tea house. This guy looked like he was still in his teens, but he did a good job. The shop was a bit rundown with a poor paint job and old furniture. It felt much older and in need of renovation than the first four. This is true for the rest of the shops on the list as well. (I did not have a good picture of this shop. I will try to add one soon.)
The irony in the appearance of these last six is wonderful. The barber, whose sole business purpose is to make men look good, spends next to nothing on the appearance of his shop. The furniture is old, the paint is horrible, the counters are messy. They scream to the world that a woman has never entered the premises. Apparently their customers do not care and honestly I would have barely noticed if I was not planning to write about them.
They all have hair care products, a TV, mirrors, chairs, and a picture or two. They all have their regular customers who seem to mirror the age of the barber. As in the old days in America (see And Griffith show) they are each centers of what’s going on in town. If you want to know the latest happenings in town, go to the barber shop. And apparently they all do decent business without serving the tourists in the least. Maybe this will change that a bit (not doing good business but the fact that tourists do not visit).
AVANOS
6. Nazar Erkek Kuaförü – Past the center of town on the left near the Bim market. These young guys did a great job and seem to be busy most of the time. Their shop has an aquarium as did a few other shops, but otherwise it fits the description above.
7. Berber Mujdat – As you enter the town the road splits; this shop is at the fork on the left. This was the first barber I visited after moving to Cappadocia and would not have visited another if I had not decided to write this post. I found both barbers to be friendly and good at what they do having done it for over 15 years. (They did not have a business card to give me.)
8. Kubali Berber – Come up the hill from the mosque and look on the right side across from the potter’s statue in the town square. This father – son duo are friendly and welcoming; plan to stay and drink tea. This and Mujdat’s above are the shops that feel most authentically Turkish.
9. Imaj Erkek Kuaför – Cross the auto bridge, turn right and head towards the center of town. You will see it on the left near the pitcher-cup fountain. I was struck by how little anyone talked in this shop. They were friendly and the shave was fine but nobody talked which was strange for a barber shop. I thought maybe it was just the time I went, but my friend noticed the same thing when he went.
10. Altin Makas Erkek Kuaför (not related to the Göreme shop)- Diagonally across from the mosque, this small shop was my most painful experience, to be honest. It was not bad at all but deserved to be 10th on this list. They seemed to be used to their regulars and did not know what to make of this foreigner sitting in their chair.
Now, as I said earlier, this list is not exhaustive. I expect that I could continue this for at least another 6 months and never go to the same barber. But choose one on this list, and you will not be disappointed. If you are, come visit me, and I will refund your 5TL.
Be sure to leave a comment after you go to a barber in Cappadocia (or anywhere in Turkey).
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