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CAPPADOCIA
INFORMATION & HISTORY
 If
you wish to discover Turkey in depth, travel to Cappadocia
is certainly a must. We suggest staying at least three
nights there. The best times are March to June and Septemberto November. There are a variety of activities you may
join: Unique place for Hot Air Ballooning in Turkey is
Cappadocia. For adventure, Horse Riding, Mountain Bike or
Jeep safari, Cappadocia is selected as one of the best areas
in Europe. In the evenings, you may either just enjoy your
stay at your hotel or go in Sarihan Caravanserai near Avanos
to see the whirling Dervishes of Mevlana, founder of Sufism
in Anatolia (Turkey).If you are interested in any of the
activities listed above, we may include that in one of the
following suggested day trips. We highly recommend extending
your stay in Cappadocia as we believe you will enjoy every
minute of your time in such a unique area with its welcoming
people. Cappadocia, which used to be known as Katpatuka
(Land of Beautiful Horses) in old Persian, is a region in
central Anatolia, 300 kilometers southeast of Ankara, the
capital city of modern-day Turkey. Cappadocia is known for
its unusual landscape, the result of the violent eruption of
volcanoes, Mount Erciyes (3,917 meters) and Mount Hasan
(3,268 meters), some 3 million years ago. Lava and volcanic
dust and ashes covered the region, which eventually hardened
into a thick layer of tuff. Over the years, water and wind
eroded the soft and brittle volcanic surface, creating deep
valleys and many different types of strange rock formations,
such as rock cones and fairy chimneys. Archaeological
evidence shows that Cappadocia was inhabited as early as the
Paleolithic period (c. 2.5 million BCE –10,000 BCE), and
continued to serve as home to the peoples of many different
civilizations, including the Hittites, Greeks, and the
Romans. Dwellings were dug into the rocks and provided
shelter from the environment, defense against foreign
invasions, and refuge from religious persecution. These
dwellings interconnect, forming some two hundred to three
hundred underground cities, equipped with elaborate air
ventilation systems, water storage units, and in some cases,
even stables and wineries. One of the most famous and well
excavated is Kaymakli, where Christians hid from the pagan
Roman invaders during the seventh century. Parts of the
underground cities are still used by Cappadocia's
present-day inhabitants. For example, underground canals are
used to regulate water in the nearby farmland, and local
produce, such as potatoes and citrus fruits, is stored in
subterranean storage units. People still live in
above-ground rock structures, some of which are even used as
hotels and inns. Cappadocia is a popular tourist
destination...
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