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Cappadocia
 Cappadocian region is the place where nature and history come together
most beautifully within the world. While geographic events are forming
Peribacaları (fairy chimneys), during the historical period, humans had
carried the signs of thousand years old civilizations with carving houses
and churches within these earth pillars and decorating them with frisks.
For millions of years, the mighty volcanoes of the Central Anatolian
Plateau erupted and spewed their contents across the land that would
become the cradle of civilization. Blessed with a moderate climate and
fertile soil, one of the world's earliest known communities was founded
10,000 years ago at Catalhoyuk along the river banks of the Casambasuyu
near Konya. Mankind's first nature painting was found here and it portrays
the most recent eruption of Hasan Dagi almost 9000 years ago. Today, its
snow capped peaks dominate the Konya plain, awash in golden hues where
vast wheat fields blend subtly with the ochre colored soil and the
monochromatic palette is interrupted only where rivers flow and tall
poplars flaunt their greenery.
Another great volcano rises in the distance to the east of Hasan Dagi.
Once called Mt. Argeus, the awesome presence of Erciyes Dagi inspired
legends as the "Abode of the Gods" and the Persians built a Zoroastrian
fire temple nearby. These two ancient volcanoes mark the western and
eastern boundaries of a region known for its curious volcanic landscape
that has been relentlessly carved by nature and by the people who have
lived here. 'Fairy chimneys,' cones and strange rock formations have been
sculpted by wind and rain while subterranean towns were excavated by a
populace seeking shelter from the conquerors and would-be conquerors who
crisscrossed the wide open steppes of the Central Anatolian Plateau.
Ancient Anatolian tribes, Assyrians, Hittites, Phrygians, Turkic tribes
from Central Asia, Mongols, Persians, Syrians, Arabs, Kurds, Armenians,
Slavs, Greeks, Romans and Western Europeans have all passed through
leaving behind some of their traditions as well as their genes and
rendering Cappadocians as exotic as their surreal surroundings.
Although the Hellenistic kingdom of Cappadocia once encompassed a much
greater area, the name now refers to the region east of Konya that is
defined by Aksaray to the west, Kayseri to the east, Nigde to the south
and Kirsehir to the north. Guide books and tour buses focus on the
underground cities of Kaymakli and Derinkuyu as well as the rock
formations and Byzantine churches found within the triangular area bounded
by Avanos, Nevsehir and Urgup. For those who take the time to explore the
less traveled byways, Cappadocia is a land of discovery. Away from Goreme,
Zelve and the major tourist sites, there are partially excavated Hittite
centers, cavetowns and hundreds of churches that are rarely seen, gorges
to explore and some of the most vivid, pastoral scenes to be captured in
all of Turkey.
Aksaray is located on the Melendiz Cayi (Melendiz River) along the old
trade route that connected Persia to the Aegean Sea. It was once the city
of Garsaura that was later renamed Archelais but little of its ancient
past survives. During the Seljuk era (1071-1300), Aksaray was transformed
into an exemplary Muslim city where a hospital and schools were built. One
of the first two Islamic theological schools, the Ibrahim Kadiroglu
Medrese was built here in the 12th century. The other was built in Konya,
one of Turkey's oldest continuously inhabited cities and the capital of
the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum. These and later schools attracted some of the
greatest Islamic scientists, philosophers and theologians of the age
including Jelaluddin who escaped the Mongol invasion of Afghanistan. He is
better known as Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi, a renowned mystical Master and
favorite saint of Konya.
The reign of Sultan Alaeddin Keykubat I (1219 - 1236) brought prosperity
to the empire when he renovated the long neglected road system and
constructed a series of hans (inns) along the way. Generally, they are
massive fortress-like structures with impressive entrances framed by
intricately carved honeycomb portals. Inside, a large courtyard with a
central mescid (small mosque) is surrounded by arched porches where
animals were tended. Another portal leads to the living quarters for
travelers. Hans were located about a days distance apart by camel and they
provided travelers with food, lodging, entertainment and protection.
Twenty four miles to the west of Aksaray, the Sultanhan Caravanserai was
the last overnight stop before reaching Konya. It was built about 1229 and
has been partially restored. The Agzikarahan Caravanserai nine miles to
the east of Aksaray retains its original features and is one of the best
preserved in the area. This somnolent farming town now serves as a base
for exploring the Ihlara Valley or as a rest stop on the way to Cappadocia
but during the 13th century, it was an enclave of culture, refinement and
scholarship that attracted visitors from all over the known world
including the great Spanish scholar and mystic, Ibn El-Arabi.
A few miles past Aksaray, a good road leads to the main Nevsehir-Nigde
highway by way of the Ihlara Valley and Guzelyurt. Rick Steves highlighted
Guzelyurt in his Turkey travel video for television and now, even 'the
pension where Rick Steves stayed' is offered as a place of interest for
tourists! Guzelyurt is one of the most tourist friendly communities in
Cappadocia with a multi-lingual aide who seems to materialize out of
nowhere and whose job it is to assist visitors with practicalities like
parking, food and lodging. Villagers and children will stop to chat and
give directions to the 'antique city' of the old Greek quarter where the
mosque was once an old Byzantine church that honored St. Gregory Nazianzus.
He was born and died nearby and is prominent as one of the 4th century
Cappadocian Fathers who defended the Nicene Creed against Arianism which
denied the Divinity of Jesus Christ.
Formerly known as Karballa then Gelvere, Guzelyurt means 'beautiful land.'
It is built on the cliffs surrounding a narrow gorge that is but a small
appendage of the more impressive Ihlara Gorge. There are over fifty rock
cut churches inside Monastery Valley which lays beyond the old village,
past semi-troglodytic houses that line a narrow, winding road. People
still live in these old cave dwellings and visitors are apt to see women
baking bread in 400 year old communal ovens or children making mud pies on
the roofs of their cliff houses carved in the rocks below. Guzelyurt has
been declared a conservation area requiring new buildings to be
constructed of natural stone so as to maintain its distinct Cappadocian
architecture. The boxy, stone buildings with flat roofs and large arched
doorways are more similar to houses of Northern Syria and Upper
Mesopotamia than to structures in other parts of Turkey. This is hardly
surprising because the earliest mention of Cappadocians by Herodotus in
the 5th century BC refers to them as 'Syrians.'
The Melendiz River finds its source in the numerous springs of the
Melendiz Daglari and the adjacent Hasan Dagi to its west. These mountains
comprise a series of currently inactive volcanoes that, over millions of
years, deposited a thick layer (1500 feet) of volcanic lava, ash and mud.
This material hardened to form a soft volcanic rock known as tufa which
was overlaid with a thinner layer of hard basalt. With the passing of
time, the Melendiz River has carved a steep sided gorge on its way toward
the marshes of Toz Golu (Salt Lake) leaving behind expanses of flat,
basalt topped plateaus that characterize this region. Further erosion of
the basalt layer expresses itself in the surrealistic landscape of
Cappadocia but in the Ihlara Valley (Peristrema), rock cones are only seen
near Yaprakhisar and Selime.
Throughout the years, this verdant valley has remained relatively
untouched by the tides of invaders that have swept the land. Sheltered by
a natural barrier, the massive Hasan Dagi to the south, the valley is
located away from the major travel routes that are still evidenced by the
main roads from Aksaray to Kayseri and Kirsehir to Nigde. It has therefore
served as a physical and an intellectual oasis for the people who have
lived here. Hittites found refuge from the Phrygian invaders while early
Christian monks sought its isolation in a remote corner of the kingdom
during the 2nd century Roman persecutions and were later sheltered from
the Arab invasions in the 7th and 8th centuries.
 The valley became an important center of monasticism that lasted from the
4th to the 14th centuries. There are an estimated 150 churches and several
monasteries in the canyon between the villages of Ihlara and Selime. A
walk through the tranquil 14 km gorge is a delight. The dappled light
under poplars and wild olive trees as well as the constant murmur of the
water provide relief from an unrelenting sun and the monotony of endless
wheat fields that make up the Cappadocian landscape. Near villages, the
river continues to be the focus of village life: women wash their laundry
amid chatter and laughter, children splash nearby and shepherds bring
their animals for a drink.
The main churches are marked although a few have been closed to the public.
The most popular churches are those in the canyon area between the
villages of Belisirma and Ihlara. However, Yaprakhisar and Selime are more
interesting architecturally with stone houses that extend into the rock
caves. The village of Selime is named after the sultan whose conical tomb
stands on the river's bank and numerous facades are carved into the cliffs
at Yaprakhisar. For the adventurous, the entire length of the Ihlara
Valley is a wonderful place for exploration. The children know the hidden
entryways and they offer some of the most incredible 'tours' to be found
in Cappadocia as they share their extraordinary playground, scampering up
tracks through the rocks to a labyrinth of caves and tunnels that open to
unexpected hideaways.
Only nine miles from Ihlara, the village of Helvadere sits among the
foothills of Hasan Dagi. Its peaks are both over 10,000 feet high and its
northern face is threaded with ribbons of snow where ravines have etched
the mighty volcano. The mountain beckons for it abounds in secrets and
legends. It has witnessed the comings and goings of Central Anatolia since
the dawn of civilization. Roman ruins, Byzantine churches and Seljuk
graves lay scattered along its northern slopes and mountain villagers tell
tales of intriguing snake legends. In his book, Caves of God: Cappadocia
and Its Churches, Spiro Kostof interprets the symbolism of the paintings
in the Yilani Kilise (Snake Church) located across the bridge from the
Tourist Pavilion in the Ihlara gorge. For one painting, he suggests that a
woman is being punished for not nursing her children because 2 snakes are
attached to her nipples. It seems likely that the real meaning may be
hidden within the snake legends of these mountain people. While we long to
uncover the secrets of Hasan Dagi, there is only enough time for a half an
hour hike behind Helvadere to visit the ruins of Viransehir (Destroyed
City). There was a large monastic complex here and remnants of a Byzantine
fortress and two churches can be seen.
A drive through the region to the north of the Aksaray-Nevsehir road is to
visit the true heart of Turkey. Numerous farming communities are located
along the streams and rivers that empty into the stalwart Kizilirmak,
Turkey's longest river that is over 800 miles in length. Farming in Turkey
is generally highly mechanized, but here, reapers still wield the scythe
and plants are sometimes hand-watered with scoops dipped into nearby
irrigation canals. When the sun reaches its zenith, workers gather under
shade trees for their midday meal and a well earned rest in a scene
reminiscent of Bruegel's 16th century painting, "The Harvesters." This
centuries old way of life continues, seemingly indifferent to the
encroachment of mass tourism.
Underground Cities
 Although referred to as "cities," the underground communities of
Cappadocia probably served as temporary shelters rather than as permanent
hidden cities. The incessant darkness is hardly conducive to life and some
of the passageways are little more than crawling spaces that would have
been intolerable in long-term situations. No one is certain as to the
number of underground communities that exist or even by whom they were
built.
The two largest communities that have been unearthed are located at
Kaymakli and Derinkuyu, 20 and 30 kms. south of Nevsehir on the Nevsehir-Nigde
road. It is thought that the Hittites may have excavated the first few
levels in the rock when they came under attack from the Phrygians around
1200 BC. However, some archaeologists believe that the oldest caves, those
hewn with stone rather than metal tools, are substantially older. These
chambers were later expanded into an extensive troglodytic complex by
Christians escaping the Arab invasions of the 7th and 8th centuries.
Discreet entrances give way to elaborate subterranean systems with air
shafts, waste shafts, wells, chimneys and connecting passageways. The
upper levels were used for living quarters while the lower levels were
used for storage, wine making, flour grinding and worship in simple
chapels. Everywhere, walls have been blackened from the use of torches.
There is a connecting tunnel between Kaymakli and Derinkuyu that allowed
three people to walk through at the same time but it is not available to
the public as parts of the tunnel have collapsed.
0nly 10 kms. to the east of Kaymakli is another cavetown at Mazikoy that
may be connected with Derinkuyu but this remains to be proven. This
community was built within the walls of a cliff. Unlike Kaymakli and
Derinkuyu, there are no stairs or grades that pass from one level to the
next. Instead, the different levels are well defined with connecting
tunnels through which people climbed up or let themselves down by means of
footholds carved into the walls of the shafts. Mazikoy is often bypassed
because it is a smaller community, its location is away from the main road
and a certain agility is required to fully appreciate its features.
Pigeon Houses
Near Uchisar is a valley that has become quite popular with hikers. It is
known by many names (Valley of the Pigeon Lofts, Dovecote Valley, Pigeon
Valley) but they all refer to the thousands of pigeon houses that have
been carved into the soft tufa since ancient times. Although they can be
found throughout Cappadocia, they are especially plentiful in this valley
which must have one of the greatest collections of pigeon lofts in the
world. They were carved wherever space allowed including abandoned caves
and the walls of collapsed churches. They lack the architectural interest
of the doocots of Scotland or the elaborate Persian pigeon towers but
their sheer numbers are astonishing. In Cappadocia, pigeons have long been
a source of food and fertilizer. The advent of chemical fertilizers has
reduced the use of pigeon fertilizer. However, some farmers still maintain
their lofts because they insist that the reputation of Cappadocian fruits
as the sweetest and most succulent in Turkey is entirely due to the
pigeons' droppings
History of
Cappadocia
The history of Cappadocia has to begin with the geological background to
the remarkable landscape here. A long, long time ago a series of eruptions
from the cones of Mt. Erciyes and Mt Hasan covered the area in a thick
layer of volcanic ash which solidified to form the soft tufa that
characterises the surface strata here. Both these volcanic mountains are
still extant and dominate the landscape. There's some reasonable skiing on
Erciyes in the winter.
The processes of erosion started the work of carving out valleys and
gorges and continue to act to this day. The signature of the region, the 'fairy
chimney' is formed when a cap of resilient stone protects the column of
softer material beneath it while the surrounding tufa is removed. The area
is now a warren of caves, underground cities, rock churches and chambers
and it's almost certain that there are more such sites waiting to be
rediscovered.
Cappadocia makes its first entrance into history courtesy of Heroditus,
writing in the 5th Century BC but it is with the advent of Christianity
that it becomes of interest to the average contemporary tourist.
Christianity came early to the region with St. Paul passing through on his
way to Ancyra (Ankara) and 3 Saints originating here in the 4th Century.
The remote and sometimes harsh nature of the landscape and climate here
appealed to the early anchorites who favoured an ascetic existence in
which hardship brought them closer to God. Gradually these individuals
formed loose knit communities here to benefit from a social structure but
nevertheless retained their individuality. These communities were
formalised as a result of St. Basil's pronouncements on the rules of
monastic life in the 4th Century and slowly grew over the next few hundred
years. The arrival of Arab raiding parties in Anatolia in the 7th and 8th
centuries drove the monks underground and they took local Christian
communities with them forming the underground cities you can explore today,
several of which are staggering in their scale. The Christian communities
dwindled after the Turks arrived in Asia Minor and local inhabitants moved
into the more convenient of the excavations that were left behind.
Cappadocia effectively vanished from the point of view of the West until
it was rediscovered by a French Jesuit priest in 1907.
The frescoes that many tourists come to see can be divided up into Pre and
Post-Iconoclastic. The earlier works rely entirely on symbolism to
communicate their messages and may look childish and simple in comparison
to later works. Their form is a result of the early church's disapproval
of the portrayal of the human form in religious art. The works which
postdate the resolution of the Iconoclastic controversy (mid 9th Century)
are much more figurative. It is interesting to compare them and realise
that both styles are telling the same stories of Christ and the Saints. It
is very difficult to find a section of fresco work that hasn't been
damaged, usually maliciously and the root of this lies partly in the
abhorrence of representations of the human form felt by strict Muslims at
various times over the last half millennia. Another, possibly apocryphal,
story tells us that local maidens believed that the blue eyes of the
figures in the frescoes, if removed and powdered, could be incorporated to
make a powerful love potion. An awful lot of figures have their eyes
removed.
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