The Importance of Natural and Cultural Heritage in Tourism: a Case of Cappadocia

УПРАВЛЕНИЕ И ОБРАЗОВАНИЕ MANAGEMENT AND EDUCATION TOMV (1) 2009 VOL. V (1) 2009 THE IMPORTANCE OF NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE IN TOURISM: A CASE OF CAPPADOCIA Hatice Ipek, Ceyda Melek Ceseroglu, Cevdet Avcikurt ЗНАЧЕНИЕТО НА ПРИРОДНОТО И КУЛТУРНО НАСЛЕДСТВО В ТУРИЗМА: КАПАДОКИЯ Хатидже Ипек, Сейда Мелек Чесеролу, Джевдет Авчикурт ABSTRACT: Apart from its interesting geological formation, Cappadocia has a place among the worlds rare natural and cultural centres, with its fairy chimneys, the settlements carved into the fairy chimneys, its underground cities, its rock churches and other beautiful elements Cappadocia, registered as “Göreme National Park of Nature and History” as number 177 in the list of “The Worlds Natural and Cultural Heritage” has its well earned place with its natural structure and its cultural di- versity. In this museum there are great number of rock hewn churches, monasteries and refectories. One can see the church that has been opened in 1967, monasteries, a mosque, tunnels and rock hewn homes in the Zelve Open Air Museum. The mosaics of the antique city of Sobessos, discovered only two years ago, the excavation of which is still being continued by the Museum of Nevşehir is one of the last surprises for those visiting Cappado- cia. Also, Cappadocia, renowned for its pottery and of course for its wine, is a region to which every visitor wishes to return again and again. In this region which is a well-known destination by international tourists, there are some weaknesses and various problems with regard to tourism, alongside its many beauties. The purpose of this study is first to intro- duce Cappadocia in terms of its geological formation, historical and cultural structure and natural beauty. Then, in the region, a total of 50 people were interviewed, the responses were compiled and grouped and pre- sented as research findings. Also, based on the information provided by the respondents, suggestions were pre- sented for the tourism problems of the region. Key Words: Cappadocia, Fairy chimneys, Underground settlements, Rock hewn homes, tuff. Introduction tween 1071-1299, and Ottoman Empire from 1299 until the Turkish Republic was founded. [1] Cappadocia, which was known as the “land of One of the reasons why people settled in the beautiful breed horses” during the Persian Cappadocia is that the tuff rock can be carved period was the place where the roots of Christi- and hewn very easily. As a rule, they preferred anity was founded and developed. Today, Cap- the steep slopes of valleys and the fairy chim- padocia with its unmatched in the world fairy neys, and they carved new dwellings into the chimneys presents the visitors the natural won- rocks as their daily life style required. While the ders adorned with an aesthetic grace. The natural excavation technique remained unchanged for formations, which started in the region 10 mil- centuries, the marks of pickaxes remain as they lion years ago, took their form 2 million years are, thanks to the dry climate. Underground set- ago, and the existence of a cultural life was iden- tlements of various sizes, which count among the tified from the prehistoric age. In the life which most interesting cultural treasures of Cappadocia, started in 3000 BC the reigning empires had have been achieved by carving the soft tuff of the been Hattie between 2000-1750 BC, Hittites slopes of valleys and plateaus vertically and between 1800-1200 BC, Phrygians an Tabal deeply. [2] Kingdom between 1200-700 BC, Persians be- In addition to these underground cities which tween 585-332 B.C. and Cappadocia Kingdom played an important role in the birth and spread between 332-17 BC. The region was ruled by the of Christianity, churches, monasteries and chap- Romans between 17 B.C and 395 AC, Byzantine els were built during Seljuk and Ottoman; Empire between 397-1071, Seljuk Empire be- mosques, madrasahs, inns and caravanserais con- tributed to the historic and cultural richness. [3] 23 A Short Glance to Cappadocia’s History volcanic tuff easy to carve, they began expanding the natural caves, linking them together and in The region known in ancient times as Cappa- addition to dwellings, creating chapels, churches, docia is the setting for some of nature's wonders. and monasteries as they shaped with their hearts, For most people, the name Cappadocia suggests minds, and hands the peace and security that they the towns of Uçhisar, Göreme, Avanos, Ürgüp, so desperately sought. [7] There are more than a Derinkuyu, Kaymaklı and Ihlara, where in the thousand churches and chapels in Cappadocia. course of millions of years, the land has been The variety and artistry of their architecture, shaped into fantastic forms. [4] layout, and decoration are fascinating and amaz- Millions of years ago, three of the mountains ing. The whole panoply of religious architecture in Cappadocia; Erciyes, Hasandağ and Güllüdağ - basilicas with single, double, or triple naves, were active volcanoes. The eruptions appear to cruciform plans, vestibules aisles, apses, domes, have begun in the Upper Miocene, less than 70 columns, pillars can be found in these churches, million years ago, in which lava began to flow and all of it has been hollowed out of the stone. from volcanoes submerged in Neogene’s lakes. Many of the churches are decorated with pains- The plateau of tuff formed from the materials takingly executed frescoes. [8] discharged by the main volcanoes was continu- There is of course more to the history of the ously altered by the eruptions of smaller and less Cappadocian region than that of the pagan and violent volcanoes. From the Upper Pliocene on- Christian world. With the arrival of Islam in wards, these layers of tuff were exposed to ero- Anatolia, it also became the home of a number of sion by rain and the waters of lakes and rivers, famous Muslim scholars and philosophers. In the particularly the Kızılırmak resulting in what we 14th century, the Turkish and Muslim mystic, see today. Floodwater pouring down the sides of Hacı Bektaş-i Veli settled down in the Nevşehir valleys combined with strong winds tore away country called Hacıbektaş today. The core tenets the softer volcanic rock exposing the harder va- of this sage's philosophy, which was crucial to rieties and resulting in the formations known as achieving unity among the different Turkish "fairy chimneys" of which there are several types groups in Anatolia, embody the spirit and sub- in Cappadocia; conical, pointed, columnar and stance of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Hu- mushroom shaped and even a type that looks as man Rights. [9] Yunus Emre, another important if it’s wearing a hat! [5] mystic and poet lived in Aksaray for a while. The Cappadocian region has been inhabited This poet's love-filled heart has influenced and since prehistoric times. During the Early Bronze inspired people around the world. UNESCO Age, Cappadocia came under the influence of declared 1991 to be the "International Yunus Assyrian civilization thanks to extensive trade, Emre Year" in commemoration of the 750th and it was during this period that writing was anniversary of his birth. [10] Akhism, the organ- introduced. The Hattie, followed by the Hittites, ized brotherhood of trade and craft guilds Phrygians, Persians, Romans, Byzantines, Sel- founded by Ahi Evran first developed in Kırşehir juk’s and Ottomans were all enchanted by the and spread out from there, sowing the seeds of love allure of Cappadocia and left the imprint of their in the hearts of people everywhere in Anatolia.[11] own presence here. Because of its location, Cap- padocia was an extremely critical and strategic The Places of Historical and Touristic Interest region. Important trade routes including the illus- Around Cappadocia trious Silk Road, traversed it both east and west and north and south. As a result of this heavy Avanos is located 18 kilometres from Nevşe- traffic, the region was a complex web of histori- hir. The town of Avanos dates back to the cal and cultural influences. Cappadocia was Bronze Age, as can be seen from the burial tu- where different faiths and philosophies met and mulus of Topraklı. On the other hand, its terrain influenced one another. [6] is watered by the 1355 kilometre-long, Kızılır- In the early years of the first millennium, mak, the longest river in Turkey. [12] groups of Christians fleeing from Roman perse- In Avanos, there is a tradition of pottery- cution began moving into the inaccessible wilds making that has been alive since Hittite times. In of Cappadocia seeking refuge. One group, which fact, pottery is one of the main activities in the arrived here from Jerusalem via Antakya and centre; in one of the town squares, a monument Kayseri in the second century, settled down in recalls various local activities such as vine- the area now called Derinkuyu. Finding the soft growing and weaving but especially pottery. 24 Smiliar motifs appear on carpets, which in Paşabağları and the Cell of St. Simeon are Avanos as in other areas in the region, is a tradi- among the most impressive sites at Zelve next to tional activity. [13] Çavuşin. [19] Göreme and its environs, located 10 kilome- Ihlara is 40 kilometres from Aksaray, as far as tres from Nevşehir, are thought to have been 14 kilometres to the town of Selime. The coun- used as a necropolis during Roman times by the tryside in the valley of Ihlara is different from inhabitants of Venessa (Avanos). In accordance the rest of Cappadocia: in fact, a river-bed has with the estimates; the Göreme area has been opened a deep canyon in the rocky tableland; occupied since the dawn of history; more re- only in the bottom of this step valley does vege- cently it was occupied by Christians who, under tation manage to grow.

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