Summary

The volcanic eruptions made the spectacle landscape.

Cappadocia has complicated historical background.  There are many underground cities and rock-cut churches with beautiful frescoes.

 

Cappadocia has been a member of UNESCO World Heritage List since 1985.  It is the Mixed World Heritage.

 

 

Cappadocia is made by nature and people.
It is a precious part of both natural and cultural heritage of the world.
We should keep and protect Cappadocia, and hand down to future generations.

Cave Hotel

I would like to introduce the Cave Hotel.

   There are so many cave hotels in the Cappadocia area.  Old times, peoples had made the caves in volcanic rocks for shelters from wild animals.　 In our times, these caves have been restored and are made cave hotels for touristy.  There are various kinds of cave hotels now.  These are a first-class hotel, a resort hotel, a pension hotel, and a hotel that the builder designed.    Many areas in Cappadocia have cave hotels, and especcially Urgup is famous with them.

   This may be a precious place where can experience an old life at the present far.  If you take a trip to Turkey, I recommend you to stay at cave hotel!!!

Horseback Riding and Cycling

Cappadocia has other activities. 

The two of them are horseback riding and cycling.

 

Horseback Riding

 

Around Cappadocia, horseback riding is a popular activity. Cappadocia, known as the "Land of Beautiful Horses" is the ideal place to explore on horseback. Cappadocia is known as a country of horse from old times.  It takes 1 to 6 hours.  It costs a little expensive, but you may have a wonderful experience, so I recommend to try it!!

 

 

Cycling

It is easy to go to anywhere with bicycle by ourselves.  But in fact, there are both uphill and downhill, so we have to ride so hard!!  But the view is really wonderful, so it is a popular activity.  Before going to natural area, we rent the bicycle at rental shop.

 

 

Ballons Tour

What can we do in Cappadocia? 

Cappadocia is known around the world as one of the best places to fly with hot air balloons!! 

 

   You will glide just above orchards, between the famous fairy chimney rock formations and up and over the rippled ravines.  We have to fly early in the morning because the wind is not very fast and it is not too hot.  We always go up-to 500 meters from the ground. When the wind is calm, we go higher than 1.000 meters.  We usually take-off with the sunrise and fly during the Golden Hour for photography.  The flight time is from 60 to 90 minutes.

Highlights 3

The last two places are Pasabag and Devrent Valley.

Pasabag

   Highly remarkable earth posts can be seen here.  The shelter of Simeon monks was here.  A chapel dedicated to St. Simeon is built into one of the fairy chimneys with three heads.  Pasabag valley contains some of the most striking fairy chimneys in Cappadocia with twin and triples rock caps. So they are also called Mushroom-shaped fairy chimneys.

 

Devrent Valley

   It does not have cave churches like the other valleys.  Devrent Valley reveals many different rock formations.  The small fairy chimneys form a lunar landscape, or moonscape.  The valley also has many animal shaped rocks.  It looks like a sculpture zoo made by nature.  Some of the most important, or the easiest seen animal shapes are camel, snake, seals, and dolphin.

 

Highlights 2

Underground cities are also favorite places in Cappadocia.

Underground city

   There are about 450 underground cities, but most of them are not opened to the public.  It is said that about 1 million people lived there. 
 

 Kaymakuli underground city is the widest one.  It was excavated asearly as Hittite times, and expanded over the centuries.  The underground city consists of eight-story.

 

 

 

Derinkuyu underground city is the deepest one.  The underground city is approximately 85m deep.  It contains at least 15,000 ducts that provide fresh air to the bottom of the underground city.

The underground cities had churches in them.  The shape of the church’s floor is cross.

 

 

Highlights1

Cappadocia has many places worth seeing.  Let me introduce five places of them.

The Goreme Open-Air Museum.

   It was made by the Christians escaping from the Roman soldiers.   It contains the finest rock-cut churches.  The churches have beautiful frescoes whose colors still retain all their original freshness.  Most of the churches in Goreme Open Air Museum belong to the 10th, 11th and 12th centuries.  That museum has been a member of UNESCO World Heritage List since 1985.

 

The Zelve Open-Air Museum.

   Here, the Christians and Muslims lived together until 1924.  Then Christians had to leave the Valley because of the nation’s problem between Turkey and Greece.  And the Muslims were forced to evacuate the Valley in the 50's because life became dangerous due to risk of erosion.