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cappadocia ( the land of beautiful horses)

Cappadocia is one of the seven natural wonders of the world with its surrealistic geological formations, the "fairy chimneys" formed by volcanic eruptions and erosion.

Throughout history, several civilizations have inhabited Cappadocia. Hittites (2000-1200 BC) used to call it "Kizzuwatna" meaning " below country ".  
During the Persian Period (546-333 BC), it was called Katpatuka meaning "the land of beautiful horses". It was a center of early Christianity, and the area came to be called Cappadocia, the Greek version of the Persian name.
   
 
   

how happened?

  Violent eruptions of the volcano Mt. Erciyes (3, 916 meters) and Mt. Hasan (3, 268 meters) three million years ago, covered the plateau surrounding Nevşehir with tuff, a soft stone comprised of lava, ash and mud. The wind and rain have eroded this brittle rock and created a spectacular surrealistic landscape of rock cones, capped pinnacles and fretted ravines, in the colors green and gray. Göreme National Park, known in Roman times as Cappadocia, is one of those rare regions in the world where the works of man blend unobtrusively into the natural surroundings.
Dwellings have been hewn from the rocks as far back as 4000 B.C. During Byzantine times, chapels and monasteries were hollowed out of the rock, their ochre toned frescoes reflecting the hues of the surrounding landscape.
 
Even today troglodyte dwellings in rock cones and village houses of volcanic tuff merge harmoniously into the landscape.
   
  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.The most famous of the Göreme churches are the Elmalı Church, the smallest and newest of the group; the Yılanlı Church. A short way from the main group, the Tokalı Kilise, or Buckle Church, has beautiful frescoes depicting scenes from the New Testament.

 

 

HIGHLIGHTS OF CAPPADOCIA:
· Rock-Cut Churches with frescoes in Göreme, Soğanlı, and Ihlara Canyon.
· Natural Rock Castles of Ortahisar and Uçhisar.
· Troglodyte houses in Zelve.
· Fairy Chimneys and valleys of Devrent and Paşabağ.
·Avanos Pottery center.
·Underground Cities of Kaymaklı, Derinkuyu, Özkonak and Mazıköy.

underground city

    stayed hidden under the ground until 1968. The founders of this deep settlement place were thought to be Hittites. During the millenniums after Christ the city was utilised by the early Christians for hiding purposes
Only the first 8 floors have been excavated until now. It is estimated that there are many other floors existing underneath and the city is interconnected to the other subterranean cities in the area.
The only other underground city, which was discovered recently, is Kaymakli. Scientists estimate that there might be at least 30 more underground cities, still undiscovered, in the area.
 
The discovered area of Derinkuyu is about 4 kilometer squares already. There is a vast network of air shafts, water wells, water tanks at the bottom and various access tunnels, in the city. There are also a vast number of kitchens, living rooms, stores, meeting rooms, cemeteries, churches and corridors connecting different segments of the city to each other. This is a fully established city with all necessary facilities inside.  

 

ıhlara canyon

The deep canyon was formed by the water flowing down from the Melendiz mountains and the Hasan Dag throughout the millenniums. It is 95kms to the south of Nevsehir. Ihlara valley has a very different character than the whole Cappadocia region.

There are tall steep rock walls surrounding the valley on both sides. It has a unique picturesque value along the 16kms long canyon. The valley reaches to the cave villages of Ihlara and Selimiye on both ends. There are more than hundred churches, carved into the rock walls of the valley.

Some of them are very difficult to reach. These churches are from the 4th and 9th century. The art in the churches was Syrian and Egyptian influenced. This is very obvious with its simplicity and limited color variety.
Among very different churches, in style and colors, we noticed a few of them with some remarkable values. The "Church with columns" or "Direkli Kilise" in the local language, has a large central dome supported by four columns and the walls are decorated with frescoes. Another one is "Church with Snakes" or "Yilanli Kilise", which was named after the painting on the wall, with snakes attacking the sinners.
The "Church under the trees" or "Agac Alti Kilise", is named after the tall and dense trees of the valley which was protected against the cold central Anatolian weather by the walls of the canyon throughout the millenniums.
You will see plenty of other very interesting churches along the way your journey to the other end of the valley.

 

 

 

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