The Cappadocia region in central Turkey is dotted with both natural and human made marvels. Humans have inhabited this area in early times (circa 1800 to 1200 B.C.) and the first record of the “Cappadocia” name dates from the late 6th century B.C.
Ancient volcanic eruptions 3 to 9 million years ago blanketed this region with thick ash, which over many years solidified into a soft rock, called tuff, which is tens of metres thick. Early inhabitants have carved a living in large underground caves as well as above ground in rock cavities formed by these volcanoes.
They have expanded these rock cavities into large homes, places of worship, storehouses, and animal shelters. Rocks near Göreme have been eroded by wind and water into hundreds of pillars and minaret-like towers and are affectionately known as “love-valleys.” The erosion left only the harder elements behind which formed a fairy tale landscape of mushroom shaped cones, pillars, pinnacles, and chimney-like structures which stretch as far as 40 m high.
Make sure to visit the 7-floor underground City of Derinkuyu (8th–7th B.C.) which is an underground city with a complex system of tunnels and large caves. Also visit the rock-carved churches along the canyon of the Ihlara Valley which date from the Byzantine period (395–1453).
GETTING HERE: Take a train to the town of Kayseri and then a bus to the rock-carved towns of Göreme, Nevsehir, Avanos, or Urgüp where you will book into a cave-room guesthouse. These towns can also be reached via a bus from Kayseri airport, or a long-distance bus from Istanbul and Ankara. Walk and bike around the area. Take a bus to Derinkuyu and the Ihlara Valley. Spend at least a week here as there is much to explore.
Blog post and photos by Peter who has been travelling almost full-time since 2005 and has been to over 122 countries. He visited several countries, such as Japan, more than 20 times. Peter is Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of GlobeRovers Magazine, an independent travel magazine focused on intrepid destinations.