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Archive for the Category »Cappadocia «
The village of Göreme is the bustling heart of Cappadocia. Hotels, pensions, restaurants, shops-you name it, Göreme has it. Because of its proximity tovthe Göreme Open-Air Museum (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the village has developed rapidly since the 1980s although it still retains much of its charm, especially in the back streets.
Many early Christian hermits, who wanted to lead a life of seclusion and asceticism, chose to settle in Cappadocia, where they hollowes out hundreds of rock formations to creat astonishing churches, chapels and monasteries. Today, there are still perhaps 600 such churches in the area, some of them with superb frescoes on the walls. The frescoes range in date from the 7th through to the 14th centuries, although most were painted after the Iconoclastic period /730-87), when the Church forbade the creation of images. Anatolian Greek Christians continued to live in this area until the 1923 population exchange between Turkey and Greece, and the remains of 19 th-century churches built to server their congregation are also scattered across Cappadocia.
The Cappadocian saints
Cappadocia has server as home to some of the Christian world’s most important saints. For example, St Basil (Vassileiso), and important figure in Orthodox Christianity, was born in Kayseri, the ancient Caesarea; the 1st and 2nd of January are kept as St Basil’s Day for the Orthodox and Catholic faiths, respectively. It was St Basil who drew up the rules of monastic life for eastern Christianity. “What you possess is not yours to keep,” is one of his best-remembered sayings.
The patron saint of England, Moscow, and Catalonia, St George(Ayios Yeorgios) was supposedly born in Cappadocia, where he is usually depicted fighting a dragon. In fact, a real St George may not have existed. The stories told about him show signs of having been lifted from ancient mythology, with George represented as a strong hero, vaguely reminiscent of Heracles.
St Barbara, who has a church named after her inside the Göreme Open-Air Museum, was born in Nicomedia (present-day İzmit). Her father was a pagan aristocrat, who condemned his beautiful daughter to death because of her Christian faith. Later, the reward for her suffering was sainthood.
Göreme Open-Air Museum
The museum is situated on what is thought to have been the site of the original Göreme, then called Corama. As you enter it, you will notice small rock-cut cells once occupied by monks and nuns. The most important structures to lok out for are the Elmalı (Apple), St Barbara, Yılanlı (Snake) and Çarıklı (Sandal) churches, although the Karanlık (Dark) church has the most magnificent frescoes, as bright today as when they were painted in the 11th century.
Another of the most outstanding churches is the 10th-century Tokatlı Church, which stands across the road from the main part of the museum. The ceiling of the older section is decorated with scenes from the life of Christ. As you walk further inside, you will see other striking frescoes adorning the walls.
On your way to the museum, take the turning in front of the Turist Hotel that leads to the Aşk (Love) Valley where you can lose yourself amongst some of the most dramatic “peri bacaları” (fairy chimneys).
Local hoteliers are experts at converting the secrets of Göreme and its surroundings into incredible locations for events. Just something to bear in mind, if you are planning something special.
Mornings and evenings
Even if you’re not normally an early bird, it’s an ufforgettable experience to look down on Cappadocia from the basket of a balloon at the crack of dawn. Even in winter, the white blanket of snow is vey becoming; from Mt Erciyes in the east, to Mt Hasan in the west, the whole area is rendered a magical mystery land.
In the evening, try and catch the whirling dervishes performing their rituals in an underground cave. As they leave the stage to the more conventional folk dancers, you will be left wondering: “Is all this for real?”
Until the 1923 population exchangebetween Turkey and Greece,Ürgüp-the old Prokopi-was predominantly inhabited by Greeks. The city boasts many beautiful stonehouses,some of them now used as hotels. Other empty cave dwellings are currently being restored.
Created by volcanic eruptions some 30 million years ago, Cappadocia meant “the land of beautiful horses” according to the Greek historian Herodotus. Whether it’s the land of beautiful horses or the land of the beautiful rock formations created by nature would be difficult to say. The volcanic tuff, shaped and eroded by sun, wind,snow,frost, time, and human hands,has made this area particularly fertileand provideditwith an income from viticulture and agriculture. Today, many delicious wines are produced in Ürgüp; you can tour the Turasan wine factoryand taste different vintages at several shops around town.
Historically, Ürgüp was bigger and richer than Göreme withwhich it competes todayfor the tourist dollar. As a result the houses here were larger and more elaborate. You will see many fine stone buildings lining the road heading out of town towards Göreme. One of the churches used by the Greeks until the 1923 population exchange now houses Ürgüp’s hamam (Turkish bath).
Ürgüp acquired a more modern kind of fame recently during the filming of the popular Turkish television series “Asmalı Konak” (The Vine-Shaded Mansion). A monument to this epochal event stands near the Turasan winery.
On the way from Ürgüp to Avanos, the Dervent Valley is filled with thought-provoking rock formations; the one resembling a camel is the most frequently photographed, but everyone will have their own particular favorite. It’s also worth dropping in on Ortahisar, which is clustered around a rock-cut castle like Uçhisar’s, and boasts fine old houses and a small museum.
This is a land where reality mingles with fantasy. Once there, you are surrounded by exquisite geographical formations what what the locals call ”fairy chimneys’ ungerground cities, rock-carved churches and cave hotels.
Cappadocia is the name of the triangular region that boast mainly volcanic aspects due to the three volcanic mountains araound - Erciyes, Hasan and Melendiz. It is a land full of suprises for its first time visitors and for those who enjoy discovering hidden corners. Capadocia Valley can be explored by car, by bike or by a scooter. This is a huge valley full of corners that are waiting to be explored. Here your eyes will feast at the marvellous geographic formations. You can choose to stay either in Uçhisar, or in Ürgüp or in Göreme, which are the places that offer best accommodation facilities.
Uçhisar, located at the skirts of the highest fairy chimney around, is originally a Stone Age settlement. A natural castle overlooking the valley, Uçhisar is 10 kilometres to Nevşehir city centre. Uçhisar Peak is the most attractive point of the whole region, full of fascinating cave-like formations all around.
Lying on the skirts of Uçhisar is Güvercinlik Valley (the valley of pigeons), which has been home to thousands of pigeons for many years. Signs of birds settlement can be seen on the rocks which has many holes carved in-basically the nests. The Christians, who abided here throughout the eighth and ninth centuries, used pigeon manure to fertilize the soil. As the land is formed due to volcanic activity and completely covered with volcanic rocks, the soil is not fertile at all. Therefore, the people of the land were driven to grow pigeons for their manure. They could easily carve holes in the rocks and thus provide shelter for pigeons, which they needed for the sake of their living.
The valley has many tunnels that are carved naturally by underground rivers. Most of these tunnels that are carved naturally by underground rivers. Most of these tunnels are easy to walk along even on the back of a horse. It is perfect for lingering and taking time for watching around or shooting photographs. There are several points on the three-kilometres road between Uçhisar and Göreme that allows you to have a bird’s eye view of Uzundere and Avcılar Valleys.
Mysterious Monasteries
Göreme, one kilometres to the village, is rich in rock-carved churches and monasteries. Today, you can still see the fresco paintings on the walls of these churches, built between 7th and 12th centuries. The most important of these churches that are worthwhile for a visit are Karanlık, Tokalı and El Nazar.
Karanlık Church is covered with fresco paintings that still boast the lively colours even hundreds of years later. Another village is Çavuşin on the road to Avanos from Göreme. This is where John the Baptist Church and abandoned cave houses are to be seen.
But, the most romantic stop of this journey will be Kızılçukur Valley-a perfect spot to watch the sunset or full moon. Only accessible through a pathway, Kızılçukur Valley invites you to experience at least one of these sights by sipping the red wine that is peculiar to Cappadocia.
Before getting to Avanos, you come across two important sites Paşabağ Valley and Zelve. You can observe the formation process of fairy chimneys in Paşabağ Valley; and in Zelve, you can witness more cave houses like the ones in Göreme.
Potteryi which is a tradition handed down by Hitties to he following generations on the region, is producced to a large extent in Avanos - entrance to the village is adorned with a huge statue of potter. Avanos is one of the oldest dwelling sites of Capadoccia region.