The old name of Gülşehir, situated on the southem bank of the Red River, 20km from Nevşehir, is a Arapsun and in ancient times it was called ''Zoropasos''. The Ottoman Grand Vezier Karavezir Mehmet Seyyid Pasha did the same thing in Gülşehir as Damat İbrahim Pasha did in Nevşehir and a külliye was built in the town which had only 30 houses. The complex consisted of a mosque, a madrassa and a fountain.

Açıksaray Ruins
This important area of ruins is situated 3km from Gülşehir. There are numerous rock cuttings including Roman tombs, and churches dating back to the 9th and 11th centuries in this important bishopric. The mihrab in ''the Mescid of Hacı Bektaş-i Veli'', it is called by locals, is interesting as it is a well preserved İslamic building. To the west side of the mescid, with a square-like plan, are some quite large niches.

Rock formations in the shape of mushrooms are unique to this area.