The ancient region of Cappadocia lies in central Anatolia, between the cities of Nevsehir, Kayseri and Nigde. Here, the traveller finds one of the most fantastic landscapes in the world. Wind and weather have eroded soft volcanic rock into hundreds of strangely shaped pillars, cones and "fairy chimneys", often very tall, and in every shade from pink through yellow to russet browns.

Cappadocia is an extraordinary land, combining unique and beautiful natural features with a fascinating cultural and historical past. Hittites, Byzantines and early Christians established important landmarks here, as did Mother Nature with her stunning erosion of the soft volcanic deposits.

Goreme is the heart of Cappadocia and is an important area for shopping, with its wonderful carpets and kilims, onyx souvenirs, and very fine local wines. It is also a wonderful region for trekking and for photo-safaris. The scenery is breathtaking in all four seasons: miniature poppies in the springtime, the fruit and flowers of summertime, autumn's grapes and blaze of gold, and the winter blanket of snow.

Cappadocia - Landscape

Extraordinarily spectacular, like a lost world with a searing brilliance of colour - the landscape of Cappadocia is be-fitting of a fairy tale complete with 'fairy chimneys.'

Millions of years ago lava and volcanic ash from the now extinct volcanoes Erciyes, Hasandagi and Golludag, covered the plateau with tuff, creating a malleable medium for Mother Nature's artistry. Her wind, rain and floodwaters have gently sculpted the area creating unforgettable valleys, magical cone-shaped monoliths, and a landscape that almost defies description.

Humans have added their touch to the landscape as well. Beginning in the 2nd century BC, Christians fleeing persecution carved small, defensible refuges, high up in the rocks of hard-to-find valleys and gorges. A very positive crowd of early hermits, they dug monasteries and churches and completed their work with heavenly frescoes of Jesus and stories from the Bible. Others who added their touch to the landscape included the Hittites, Phrygians, Medes, Persians, Romans, Seljuks and the Ottomans.

There are countless monasteries, chapels, churches, dwellings and pigeon lofts carved into the Cappadocian landscape as well as 37 known subterranean cities, one (Derinkuyu) is more than 8 stories deep!

Cappadocia – History

Prehistory

The first signs of human presence date from the neolithic and the calcolithic periods. Indeed, hearths, statuettes and lithic tools made of volcanic glass or bone have been found.

The Hittites

Signs of human life have been discovered, dating from the bronze age and the Hittite period (3000-1750 BC). The soil contained gold, silver, copper but no tin. Exchange developed, with Assyrians from Mesopotamia who founded trading posts in the region. It has been established that writing existed in Cappadoce, thanks to Assyrian tablets on which you can read the different taxes paid by the traders to the Anatolian landowners, as well as the interests they received from their debtors. A new artistic trend appeared in Anatolia, as a result of cultural and religious influences from Mesopotamia.

In around 2000 BC, a people coming from Europe and passing through Caucasus settled in Anatolia. They integrated into native life. Their language was Indo-European and they were influenced by the native cultural and religious rituals. Their writing, in the shape of cuneiforms can be found on numerous plates. They progressively built an

empire , Hatusas (today's Bogazköy). After 600 years of reign, they were defeated by the Phrygians and their empire was dismantled. Some Hittite strongholds remain in central and south-east Anatolia.

The Persians

Other peoples took over the region ; the Kimmers, then the Medes and the Persians who named the region “Katpatuka”, which means “Country of thoroughbred horses”. Since they worshipped Fire, the volcanoes were sacred. Alexander the Great, a Macedonian king, defeated the Persian armies in 334 and 332 BC and dismantled the Persian empire.

The Romans

Then the Romans invaded the region and it became part of the Roman empire. As it was one of the most extreme limits of the empire, they built fortifications around Kayseri and brought in their legions. Christianity, coming from Palestine, spread in the south of Anatolia, then in Cappadoce. The first Christians emigrated to the cities and villages. They started digging the first churches and settled in the dwellings made in the rocks.

Byzantium

After the partition of the Roman empire into two parts, Cappadoce, influenced by Byzantium, was often a battlefield between Sassanides and Byzantines. Under the ruling of Leon III, the idolatry of icons was banned. In Cappadoce, this rule lasted 100 years, but it was hardly respected because the people who worshipped icons found refuge in the monasteries of Cappadoce. In the 11th century, the Turkish Seljoukides, led by their chief Alparslan, invaded Anatolia and defeated Romanos Diogenes, the Byzantine emperor.

Cappadocia – Culture

The cultural heritage of the Cappadocian people is a rich mosaic of the many great civilizations that have inhabited the region throughout time. The people of Cappadocia are as colourful as the landscape and will delight you in conversation over tea, coffee or wine and warm you with their generous hospitality. They are an exotic people with a unique culture and set of traditions.

Their art and culture is influenced by each of the civilizations that have occupied the region through their architecture, calligraphy, pottery, rug weaving, and their handmade Cappadocian dolls. The fertile soils have provided a valuable export market of grapes. Wine produced from the grapes grown in this region is so good that one of the most important International Wine Festivals of Turkey is held here each year!

Cappadocia – Churches

Since the most ancient of times, men have hollowed out troglodyte dwellings in this soft rock, and here, at the dawn of Christianity, the early Christians made countless cave churches, chapels and monasteries. There are over 600 churches scattered through the valleys.

The art style of the churches can best be considered in two categories: the 8th and 9th centuries are the iconoclastic years, with decorations in red earth tones and symbolism in simple geometric motifs; the 10th to the 13th centuries saw decorations on a plaster base and show the lives of Christ and various saints. In some of the churches the frescoes of the later period have fallen off, revealing earlier decorations underneath.

Cappadocia - Underground Cities

Also in this region are a number of underground cities which were used by Christians as places to retreat to and live in until danger from their enemies had passed. These cities were well-hidden and safe. There were rooms for grain storage, stables, sleeping chambers, kitchens, wells and air shafts. Today they are well-lit and fascinating to explore.

The underground city of Derinkuyu, about 50 kms south of Goreme, was at one time the home of up to 20,000 people. There are 8 floors of tunnels open to the visitor. The ventilation shafts, circular and descending from the surface to the lower levels, bring home the scale of the labyrinth, Massive circular doors were rolled across the passages to seal the occupants safely inside.

There are 37 subterranean settlements in the area although only a few are open to the public. Kaymakli, 10 kilometers to the north of Derinkuyu, is smaller and less excavated with 5 accessible levels

Ballooning

A hot-air balloon flight is unique from all other experiences of flight as there is no sensation of motion. Travelling at heights of up to 1500 feet, the feeling is one of peace and tranquility. The earth slowly descends and rotates below you. Within moments after lifting off you become at ease while you effortlessly drift over the treetops and the spectacular Cappadocian landscape. It is like a dream to gently float over the countryside in complete harmony with your surroundings.

The deep canyons and lush fertile valleys of Cappadocia provide our balloons with an ideal playground for a unique and memorable flight; gentle winds carry us over places that could never be reached except by balloon. Ballooning can be such fun! In season we can even pick apricots from the trees!