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04 January 2022

Unreal Cappadocia

Cities under the ground

cappadocia goreme AdobeStock 179491751

We have heard of whole cities extending below the surface of the earth in the region of Cappadocia. One of them is the Malakopi (deep well) which descends 18 layers from the surface of the new city. About 1000 years ago, these underground cities were hiding places and shelters for the people who lived in the area from the attacks of mainly Mongol tribes. The first underground city was discovered in 1963 by a resident of the modern city, who while trying to renovate his basement found a hidden space.

People could stay for months at a time in these cities and communicated with each other through tunnels, letters, and even voices, informing each other of surface happenings. According to the estimate made by archaeologists, such a city could accommodate a large amount of food, animals and about 20,000 people. About 200 identical cities have been found between Caesarea and Nevsehir.

Today in Cappadocia there are many luxury hotels where one can stay and live this unique experience up close.

One of the must-visit places is the Goreme (Korama) Museum which essentially consists of various carved churches, with us highlighting the Dark Church.

It is a temple that has stood firm since the 11th century and has been carved into the rock, which was created from lava and volcanic ash. The church has minimal lighting, which comes from a small skylight, and this means that its paintings have been preserved in excellent condition. They are considered among the masterpieces of Byzantine painting.

Land of wild horses and pigeons

pigeon houses

There is a legend that says that the name Cappadocia means "land of beautiful horses" in ancient Persian. The truth is that this legend seems real as there are many wild horses in the area. If you don't want to see Cappadocia from the hot air balloons there, you can go around it on a horse. Apart from the horses, however, Cappadocia could and may have been a dovecote even earlier. The locals used the pigeons as postmen, while the droppings were used as fertiliser.

The Valley of the Pigeons, with its snow-white rocks is undeniably a reason in itself to visit Cappadocia.

The Wool Museum

cappadocia Kaymakli AdobeStock 243311056

Next to Goreme is Avanos, less touristic and more traditional. Here you can visit Galip Koruktsu's Wool Museum. The story started with one of Galip's friends who left a tuft of hers so she wouldn't forget to make something for her. Since then and after 30 years, its exhibits are more than 16,000 braids, which were left by women as a lottery, where women are drawn twice a year to take pottery classes.

Hot air balloon ride

ballons

Of course, the hot air balloon ride is a must! The experience and the feeling you will experience, being at the same height as the tops of the rocks is unrepeatable. The price may seem expensive as such a ride costs €150 but it is definitely worth it, since you will get there to see Cappadocia from 1000 meters high.

Uhisar Castle

Uchisar castle

Uhisar Castle at a distance of 5 km from Göreme is not really a castle, but a huge rock, carved with rooms where people lived. Entry is not allowed inside the rooms, due to landslides, but the view from above is magical as the climb is quite easy.