CAPPADOCIA © Lonelyplanetpublications Lost Valleysofihlaraandso Spots
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© Lonely Planet Publications 494 Cappadocia Between Kayseri and Nevşehir, Central Anatolia’s mountain-fringed plains give way to a land of fairy chimneys and underground cities. The fairy chimneys – rock columns, pyramids, mush- rooms and a few camels – and the valleys of cascading cliffs were formed when Erciyes Dağı erupted. The intervening millennia added to the remarkable Cappadocian canvas, with Byz- antines carving cave churches and subterranean complexes to house thousands of people. You could spend days touring the rock-cut churches and admiring their frescoes (techni- cally seccos, actually). Alternatively, view the troglodyte architecture from far above on a dawn hot-air balloon ride or from a panoramic hotel terrace. Whether it’s a pension or a boutique hideaway with as few rooms as it has fairy chim- neys, Cappadocia’s accommodation rates as some of Turkey’s best and allows guests to experience cave dwelling firsthand. The restaurants in dreamy spots such as Göreme and Ürgüp are equally alluring, with yet more terraces offering sweeping views of the knobbly landscape. Staying in villages where eroding castles overlook small communities of very laid-back people, you might just become a world expert on the aesthetic qualities of rocky valleys at sunset. It will require evenings of study on the terrace, but you will get there with a good supply of çay (tea) or Efes. However, between lingering looks at the rocky remains of Cappadocia’s unique history, it is worth checking out some further-flung spots. Caravanserais dot the roads to the seemingly lost valleys of Ihlara and Soğanlı, and former Greek settlements such as Mustafapaşa. HIGHLIGHTS Explore Byzantine tunnels at Kaymaklı and Derinkuyu underground cities ( p524 ) Examine fresco-covered churches in the Göreme Open-Air Museum ( p499 ) Gaze at the pigeon houses riddling cliffs CAPPADOCIA CAPPADOCIA and fairy chimneys in Göreme’s labyrinthine valleys ( p502 ) Gasp at the outcrops doubling as castles in Uçhisar ( p507 ) and Ortahisar ( p516 ) Göreme Uçhisar Ürgüp Take the trip of a lifetime in a hot-air Ortahisar Mustafapaša balloon ( p510 ) Kaymaklî Derinkuyu Drink in the views over multiple mezes in Soÿanlî chic Ürgüp ( p517 ) Güzelyurt lhlara Valley Part the vines and peer into a tumbledown Greek mansion in Mustafapaşa ( p522 ) Trek through secluded monastic settlements in Soğanlı ( p523 ), Ihlara Valley ( p528 ) and Güzelyurt ( p531 ) lonelyplanet.com CAPPADOCIA •• History 495 0 40 km CAPPADOCIA 0 20 miles Topraklî To Kîršehir (10km); Ankara (210km) K îz îl î r m Hacîbektaš ak Himmetdede River River To Sultan Han (35km); Sivas (190km); Özkonak Malatya (344km) Kîzîlîrmak Ortaköy Yakatarla Gülšehir Avanos Sarîhan Sulusaray Kayseri Open Zelve Çökek Palace Çavušin Göreme Aktepe Aksalur Talas Nar Uçhisar Ürgüp Nevšehir Ortahisar Încesu Kizilören Kalebalta Alay Mustafapaša Kozluca Göreme Erciyes Daÿî Hanî Kavak Bahçeli Bašdere (3916m) Open-Air Ayvalî Acîgöl Museum Çardak Kešlik Yešilöz Gölü Monastery Taškînpaša Çöl Aÿzîkara Tepesidelik Sobesos Hanî Hanî Šahinefendi Dörtyol Özlüce Kaymaklî Kara Daÿî Gölü Yay Güzelöz ὅὅ Develi Derinkuyu Aksaray Gölü Melendiz Suyu See Ihlara Valley Gaziemir Soÿanlî Yešilhisar Eÿri Map (p529) ὅὅ Akköy Göllü Daÿî Sultan Marshes Selime (2143m) Baraji Saÿlîk Güzelyurt Bird Paradise Belisîrma Edikli ὅὅ(Sultan Sazlîÿî lhlara Sivrihisar Kuš Cenneti) Valley Ilîsu Gölcük Nora Ihlara Çiftlik Sekkin Karkîn Boÿazî Ovaçiftliÿiὅὅ Helvadere ὈὈὈ Tašpînar Hasan Daÿî (3268m) Yahyalî Ala Daÿlar National Park Altînhisar Kapuzbašî Eski Gümüšler Waterfalls Monastery Mt Demirkazîk Niÿde (3756m) GümüšlerὈὈὈ Demirkazîk Bor Çamardî Çukurbaÿ Kemerhisar To Mansurlu CAPPADOCIA To Adana (40km) (190km) ὈὈὈ History boom in the 1980s kick-started a new era, The Hittites settled Cappadocia (Kapadokya) and now Cappadocia is one of Turkey’s most from 1800 BC to 1200 BC, after which smaller famous and popular destinations. kingdoms held power. Then came the Persians, followed by the Romans, who established the Dangers & Annoyances capital of Caesarea (today’s Kayseri). During A warning is needed about bus services to the Roman and Byzantine periods, Cappadocia Cappadocia from other parts of Turkey. Many became a refuge for early Christians and, readers have complained that although they from the 4th to the 11th century, Christianity purchased tickets to Göreme, they found flourished here; most churches, monasteries themselves instead deposited at Nevşehir’s and underground cities date from this pe- otogar (bus station), or even outside it, and riod. Later, under Seljuk and Ottoman rule, were left with no alternative except to catch Christians were treated with tolerance. an overpriced taxi to Göreme. We’ve even Cappadocia progressively lost its impor- heard of some unscrupulous bus compa- tance in Anatolia. Its rich past was all but nies abandoning travellers on the highway forgotten until a French priest rediscovered outside Avanos. Problems most frequently the rock-hewn churches in 1907. The tourist occur on buses travelling between destina-.