CAPPADOCIA – FAIRY PINNACLES AND UNDERGROUND CITIES

Cappadocia (“Cap-a-do-cha”), located in the middle of Turkey near the provincial capital of Nevsehir, is really more of an idea than a specific location.  It is an absolutely unique geological anomaly of regional natural wonders that draws tourists, balloonists, trekkers, and spelunkers from throughout the world.

It is visually characterized by minaret-like soft rock pinnacles called “Fairy Chimneys” that have been carved by locals into caves, homes, churches, and underground cities.  These tufa towers are each unique.  No two are alike, in size or in shape.  Some are of such outlandish shape that they actually take on the likeness of cartoon characters.

After the eruption of local Mt. Erciyes about 2,000 years ago, ash and lava formed soft rocks in the Cappadocia Region, covering a region of 20,000 square kilometers. Hard rock caps remained near the surface.  The soft rock to the sides was quickly eroded by wind and water.  What remained were the chimneys.

The most important destinations in Cappadocia are Göreme, Urgup, Ihlara Valley, Selime, Guzelyurt (Monastery Valley), Uchisar, Avanos and Zelve (Göreme gained notoriety as a monastic centre in 300–1200 AD). There are a huge number of cities built underground but the one most worth seeing is the largest and deepest, at Derinkuyu.    Beyond that local history is so complicated it requires a diagram that would make nuclear fission sequences look like child’s play.

Göreme is perfect as my base.  This fun, diverse city is chosen largely because it offers the best amenities and acts as a central hub for other attractions.  Its Open Air Museum is the most visited site in all of Cappadocia and one of the most frequented in all of central Turkey.  Besides rock carved caverns, the Open Air Museum’s highlights are a series of churches and monasteries featuring well-preserved frescoes (due to heat, lack of humidity and scarcity of light allowed into their recesses).

The finest example of churches on the site is just downhill, at the Karanlik Kilise Church.   It was remodeled extensively in the eighties, largely to prevent collapse of its rock ceilings and to preserve its remarkable 9^th to 11^th century frescoes -- the finest in all of Cappadocia.  In 32 electric scenes, these frescoes show in tri-partite revelation the infancy, miracles, and final passion of Christ.  Other bays and apses and pockets contain still vivid paintings of prophets, saints and the 12 apostles.  Even though photos are disallowed here, it is still a photographer’s dream -- and a site not to be missed.

The day-treks around Göreme are spectacular.  They include the Rose, Honey, and Pigeon Valleys.  The Rose Valley has a water carved wadi that winds its way on and under honeycombed fairy habitats on its rims. The Pigeon Valley has a huge variety of pinnacles in their nascent stage, so you can see development from hardened capstone through erosion to shark fin stage, leading eventually to full height pinnacles (some as high as 40 meters).

Some pinnacles in the Pigeon Valley appear to be outlandish cartoon characters.  Others look like mushrooms, phalluses, dunce caps, and castles.  The largest castle of all is uphill in the (expensive) dream village of Uchisar.  A tall volcanic rock outcrop laced with tunnels and windows, it is visible for miles and provides the best territorial view in all of Cappadocia from its summit.  The Castle is at its most scenic when lit up at night.

The village of Göreme itself loses nothing to its surroundings.  Streets must meander to accomodate its heat-baked pinnacles, cones, bluffs, cliffs and small watercourses.  Perhaps the finest time of day is close to dawn, when the air is at its coolest.  Dozens of balloons can be seen then magically silouetted against the glow of the rising sun.   Be prepared to take out a second mortgage in payment however – these ascents are not cheap!

Cappadocia is seasonally very, very hot.  My favorite activity in the village was regular hydration stops for beer or mixed drinks, followed by fine dining.  Also “scouting” (the look only version of shopping).  Dining provides the chance for Turks to showcase their legendary hospitality.  My favorite venue was Vale Terrasse, not only for its views and varieties of wine to go with my broiled lamb, but the after-dinner trip offered through proprietor Sal.  He arranged for his father to drive me 8 kilometers uphill to Uchisar in order to see The Castle up close and personal while illuminated at night.

Others entertain themselves with horseback riding (Cappadocia has an equestrian tradition going back nearly 2000 years), real shopping, hot air ballooning, bike riding, quad rentals, and sipping mint tea underneath numerous shaded awnings as close to water as possible.  Many take organized tours to nearby points of interest.  I elect to take the “Green Tour” on my second day, a 220 kilometer all-day visit to Cappadocia’s most popular destinations.

It would be easy to claim the underground city of Derinkuyu as my favorite stop during this tour.  It is after all the largest and deepest and best equipped of over 200 underground ruins in the area.  This particular warren of tunnels was utilized as early as the 8^th century BC by Persians, but primarily occupied by Christians as refuges from the 5^th to the 10^th centuries AD.  It was first discovered in 1963 when a ground level homeowner found a mysterious room behind a wall of his home and further digging led to the tunnels.

The complex is spread over 13 levels, at depths up to 67 meters.  Over 20,000 people occupied the “city” at one time.  Stables for animals were kept on the first and second floors.  Beneath that were schools, chapels, storerooms, wine and oil presses, and cellars.  A 55 meter well provided water to Derinkuyu.

The entire system of tunnels and passageways was well ventilated. Each floor could be ingeniously sealed off from those above and below with massive donut shaped doors which could be rolled into place as defensive stops.  Narrow gates, doorways and passages otherwise allowed multiple points where “one man could hold off an army.”

Amazingly the complex at Derinkayu was connected via an underground 8 kilometer passage with another maze of multiple level tunnels at Kaymakli.  My above ground journey past this underground route on the way in from Göreme happily reminds me of the Tuscany Region in Italy.

Despite the unique wonders of Derinkayu, the Ihlara Valley 40 kilometers to the southwest remains the most memorable part of Cappadocia.   This spot provides nearly all the visual wonders of the Göreme vicinity (minus the astonishing frescoes of the Church of Karanlik Kilise) but with some added attractions.

That includes a 4.5 kilometer greenbelt walking path along an often shaded central watercourse. Tall stands of beautiful whispering birch trees.  Over 150 walk-in church caverns carved out of the valley tufa walls – some of them with their own colorful and well-preserved frescoes (including one notable portrait of Daniel in The Lion’s Den).  Over 10,000 caves and grottos.   Too many fairy pinnacles to count.  And the Belisimar Restaurant with lunch awaiting, straddling the river at hike’s end.

A final stop is made 30 kilometers away at the Selime Cathedral.  This was a fortified monastery and the largest ancient church in all of Cappadocia.   It is carved from tufa and rock, and dominates caravanserai trade routes at its base.  It included multi-level church caverns and a winery.  Much of the Cathedral’s present day fame derives from its proximity – clearly seen from its heights and windows – of fairy towers that were first used in filming the original Star Wars film in 1978, until Tunisia was later substituted.

   

The caravanserai routes were intended to encourage and protect commerce along the Silk Road leading from China to Europe (and vice versa).  They were built about 35 kilometers apart -- or a day’s journey.  These huge castle-like buildings, intended to shelter the travelers, their camels, horses, donkeys and cargoes, provided needed travel services and kept those in transit safe from highwaymen.  The outposts were also meant to protect Arab pilgrims journeying on their haj to Mecca and Medina – a journey which could take up to six months.

Among the staff were an imam religious leader, muezzin prayer caller, executioner (!), cook, judge, blacksmith, doctor, baker, tent maker, veterinarian, fireworks specialists, and musicians to notify when the caravan moved and halted.  Perils of the journey all faced were sickness, death, hunger, thirst, extreme heat and cold, and the danger of desert Arab attacks.
 

Caravans were received into the caravansarai each evening, and were welcome to stay for free for up to three days.  Food, fodder and lodging were provided free of charge, often provided for by the building owner or local sheikh or paid out of taxes levied along the highly profitable path.  Nearly 100 caravanserais still exist along the Silk Road and other routes in former Anatolia (ancient Turkish) lands.  Included among them are the Sarahun and Karatayhan caravan stops, located close to Selime Cathedral.