Cappadocia is a historical region in Central Anatolia of Turkey. Ancient volcanic eruptions covered this region with thick ash which solidified into a soft rock. These volcanic rocks in the area eroded over time by wind and water into hundreds of pillars and minarets called fairy chimneys, some up to 40 meters high. People of the region carved out houses, churches, and monasteries from these soft volcanic rocks. They even dug out underground cities where a few thousand of people could live there at once to escape bandits or religious persecution.
The closest airports to Cappadocia are in Kayseri and Nevsehir. We stayed at the Museum Hotel which is the only Relais & Chateaux property in Turkey. The hotel was meticulously restored and renovated from caves and ruins and decorated with valuable antiques and artifacts.
View from the Museum Hotel
One can normally see the hot air balloons every morning at the lobby of the Museum Hotel. Unfortunately, it was extremely windy during our visit and the hot air balloon rides were cancelled everyday.
Relaxing by the pool at the Museum Hotel.
Pool at the Museum Hotel.
Our suite at the Museum Hotel.
Our suite at the Museum Hotel.
Peacocks roaming around the Museum Hotel.
I didn’t know that baby peacocks are white.
Goreme Open Air Museum is a must for all visitors. It contains the finest rock-cut churches and most of the churches and chapels here belong to the 10th to 12th centuries with beautiful Byzantine frescoes. Goreme was a religious refuge during the early days of Christianity and hence the large concentration of churches ad monastic communities.
Goreme Open Museum
Church at Goreme Open Museum
Goreme Open Museum
Goreme Open Museum
Dining room of the cave monastery at Goreme.
Cave dwellings at Goreme Open Museum.
Church at Goreme Open Museum
Goreme Open Museum
Pasabag Valley or Monks Valley contains some of the most striking fairy chimneys in Cappadocia with twin and even triple rock caps. Hermits used to come to this area and build dwellings in these mushroom-shaped fairy chimneys.
Pasabag or Monks Valley
Pasabag or Monks Valley
Hermit dwellings
Pasabag or Monks Valley
Twin and triple caps on top of fairy chimneys are rare in Cappadocia.
We went for an easy 3.5km hike in Rose Valley. This beautiful valley gets its name from the rose-colored rock that varies in hue and intensity depending on time of day and seasons. There are several cave churches and houses along the way.
Selling dry fruits and nuts at the entrance to Rose Valley.
Farmers used these pigeon houses to collect the droppings of pigeons which is an excellent natural fertilizer for the orchards and vineyards nearby.
Rose Valley
Forgotten rock-cut church in Rose Valley.
We arrived at Cavusin village at the end of our Rose Valley hike.
Cavusin Village is now abandoned and its residents moved to a new town on ground level because the rock structure was becoming too dangerous.
Cavusin village
One of the more interesting place we visited on this trip was the Underground City of Kaymakli. It is one of the largest and widest underground cities in Cappadocia with eight floors below ground organized around ventilation shafts. The city consisted of stables, churches, storage places, wineries, and rooms where people lived. Archaeologists speculate that up to 3500 people could have lived there at once. It was built to protect locals from marauding armies and invaders as well as religious persecution. Currently, only four of the eight floors are open to the public.
Inside Kaymakli Underground City.
Room after room like a maze.
Winery area in the Kaymakli Underground City.
The giant swiss cheese that is Uchisar Castle.
Dinner with a view at Seki restaurant of Argos in Cappadocia Hotel down the road.
Dinner at Seki restaurant.
View from Seki restaurant
Located near the village of Mustafapasa is Keslik Monastery which dates from approximately the 7th century. The monastery complex consists of churches, kitchens, sleeping quarters, and even graves, that were carved into the rocks by the monks. Unlike many other remote churches and monasteries, the frescoes of Keslik Monastery are remarkably visible.
Keslik Monastery
Inside Keslik Monastery
The beautiful frescoes of Keslik Monastery.
This wheel of rock can be rolled to the left to cover the entrance to the chamber.
Dining room at Keslik Monastery.
Graves were also found inside the Keslik Monastery.
There are hundreds of rock cut churches in Cappadocia.
Pigeon Valley
Pigeon Valley with Uchisar in the distance.
Pigeon Valley
Love Valley is an area in Cappadocia filled with huge phallic shaped pillars that are naturally formed by the erosion of volcanic rock. Erosion from the wind and water left only the harder elements behind, hence forming such an unusual landscape. We did an early morning hike through the valley with the owner of the Museum Hotel and his dog Joe.
Love Valley
Love Valley
Love Valley
Love Valley
Hike through Love Valley with Joe
Do visit the Sarihan Caravanserai and see a Whirling Dervishes Ceremony. The ceremony symbolizes the different meanings of a mystic cycle to perfection where the dervish spins round and round with his arms open. Unfortunately, photos were not allowed during the ceremony.
Sarihan Caravanserai
Caravanserais were roadside inns along the silk road where travellers come to rest and replenish supplies for their journeys.
Whirling Dervish light show at Sarihan Caravanserai.
