CAPPADOCIA

Cappadocia, which means "The Land of Fine Horses", is situated in the Nevsehir - Göreme province. During the early ages, besides its horses, it was famous for its red ochre, ceramics and alabaster. The earth pillars consisting of volcanic tuffs add additional beauty to the landscape. During the Byzantine period some 365 churches and monasteries were built by excavating these earth pillars, and their walls were decorated with religious paintings. Göreme has been declared a National Park and is on the World Heritage List of UNESCO. Cappadocian region is the place where nature and history come together most beautifully within the world. While geographic events are forming Peribacalari (fairy chimneys), during the historical period, humans had carried the signs of thousand years old civilizations with carving houses and churches within these earth pillars and decorating them with frisks 

Violent eruptions of the volcanoes Mt.Erciyes (3916 meters) and Mt.Hasan (3268 meters) three million years ago covered the plateau surrounding Nevsehir with tufa, a soft stone comprised of lava, ash and mud. The wind and rain have eroded this brittle rock and created a spectacular surrealist landscape of rock cones, capped pinnacles and fretted ravines, in colors that range from warm reds and golds to cool greens and grays.

The underground cities of Kaymakli, Mazi, Derinkuyu and Ozkonak were all used by the Christians of the seventh century, who were fleeing from persecution. They sheltered from the iconoclastic strife of Byzantium as well as other invasions in these safe and well hidden metropolises. A complete and self-sufficient environment, these cities included rooms for grain storage, stables, sleeping chambers, kitchens and air shafts.

The Göreme Open-Air Museum, a monastic complex of rock churches and chapels covered with frescoes, is one of the best known sites in central Turkey. Most of the chapels date from the 10th to the 13th century, the Byzantine and Seljuk periods, and many of them are built on an inscribed cross plan with a central cupola supported by four columns. In the narthexes of several churches are rock cut tombs. Among the most famous of the Göreme churches are the Elmali Church, the smallest and newest of the group; the Yilanli Church with fascinating frescoes of the damned in serpent coils; the Barbara Church; and the Carikli Church. A short way from the main group, the Tokali (Buckle) Church, has beautiful frescoes depicting scenes from the New Testament.

Uchisar is 3 km. away from Goreme. It is the highest point of Goreme district. For those who climb the steps to the top of the Uchisar Fortress the whole region unfolds below.

Ortahisar: This village, 3 km southeast of the Goreme Valley, is most famous for its 50m high rock-castle, which is visible from the main road. It is possible to climb the rock, which offers stunning views of the surrounding area. This attractive farming village also has examples of the monastery lifestyle, and is a strong cultural and commercial center. Other places of interest in this area include Harim Church, Sanca Church and Cambazli Church

North of Ortahisar, the Kizilcukur Valley is breathtakingly beautiful especially at sunset.

Four kilometers north of Urgup is the wonderful Devrent Valley where the weather has eroded the stone into peaks, cones and obelisks called fairy chimneys.

Another small town 15 km . from Nevsehir is Avanos that is famous with its ceramics.

Leaving Avanos in a southerly direction you come to an interesting Seljuk caravanserai, Sarihan.

Cavusin, on the road leading north out of Göreme, you will find a triple apse church and the monastery of St.John the Baptist. In the town are chapels and churches, and some of the rock houses are still inhabited. From Cavusin to Zelve fairy chimneys line the road. Unfortunately, it is dangerous to visit the churches in the valley because erosion has undermined solid footing.

Mustafapasa: Located 5km from Urgup, the small village of Mustafapasa has old stone houses with attractive carved facades dating back to the end of the 19th century, and a cluster of small churches. Once known as Sinasos when it was a thriving Greek community before World War I, it makes an interesting trip. Places of interest include a 19th century medrese, the Ayios Vasilios Church, and the Church of Sts Constantine and Helena. There are several small guest-houses and restaurants. 

Ihlara Valley The valley is located at 40 km. distance to the Aksaray district of Nevsehir. Reaching to the valley is possible via the road separation which is at the 11th km. of the Aksaray - Nevsehir highway. The valley was formed from the appearance of cracks and collapses formed from the cooling of the molten lava coming from the Hasandagi Mountain and this lava had intensely contain basalt and andesite contents. The valley had attained the today's formation by the assistance of the Melendiz Creek which flows through these cracks and this creek was named as 'Potamus Kapadukus" during the first ages of historic period which means "the river of Cappadoccia". The valley with 14 km. length begins from Ihlara borough and ends at Selime borough. The depth of the valley occasionally extends to 100 -150 meters. There are numerous shelters, burial grounds and churches carved into the rocky surface of the valley. Some of these shelters and churches are connected to each other with tunnels as is encountered at the underground cities.

Soganli, 50 km south of Urgup, is a picturesque valley of innumerable chapels, churches, halls, houses and tombs. The frescoes, from the 8th to the 13th century, trace the development of Byzantine painting.

The road to Nevsehir and Cappadocia passes through Hacibektas, the town where Haci Bektas Veli settled and established his Bektas Sufi order in the 14th century. The dervishes who followed the sect's tenets of love and humanism were housed in the monastery which includes a mausoleum and mosque. The complex is now a museum open to the public. Onyx, plentiful in the region, was used by the disciples of this order and has come to be called Hacibektas stone. 

Source: Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Culture and Tourism