Located in Selime Town at the end of Ihlara Valley, the monastery is the largest castle monastery in the region. Selime Cathedral was built on 2 floors to make the first Christians able to worship secretly. Carved into the rocks, the monastery was used both as a place of worship and as a fortress against attacks.

Selime Monastery is the cathedral where clergymen were raised and the first loud ritual was held. There are traces of Byzantine architecture in the cathedral which is surrounded by fairy chimneys. The castle, which was used in the Seljuk Period later, is known as the region where the greatest struggles were fought against the Mongol invasion in Anatolia. It is possible to see more than 100 carved structures only around the monastery.

There is also a kitchen and a courtyard built inside the cathedral. The frescoes of Christ ascension and the Virgin Mary are still visible today.

The Selime region also contained a market place in the past. Therefore, there is a way for the safety of caravans inside the monastery. Loaded camels were taken to the middle of the cathedral and taken under protection.