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Words are Inadequate to Describe the Beauty of Cappadocia

All the students, teachers and parents were very excited when we first got on the bus in Istanbul. We were going to Cappadocia, one of the most interesting and spectacular landscapes in the world. We had really fun all together on the bus. But we had to sleep to save energy for the next two days.

When we arrived Cappadocia, we directly went into the hotel. We found rooms extremely well-kept up. We will always maintain good memories of the hotel that made our stay perfect. Then the adventure began. Our tour guide was really good at his work and taught us many things. Which one broadens the mind more, traveling or reading? I think, if you have a perfect guide like ours, traveling is the best. Look what we have learnt during our trip.

Increasingly popular as a tourist destination, the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia are unique to Turkey. About three million years ago the volcanoes of Mt. Erciyes and Mt. Hasan covered the surrounding plateau with volcanic tuft as a result of their violent eruptions. The natural effects of wind, water and rain eroded this area into a spectacular, surrealist landscape of rock caves, capped pinnacles and fretted ravines in colors ranging from warm tones of red and gold to cool tones of green and gray.

We could see fairy chimneys everywhere in Cappadoccia, but the best was near the village of Aktepe, known as the Valley of the Fairy Chimneys. These are the most clustered, and because of the position of the hard rocks, have suffered less from erosion than the ones in the surrounding areas.

And Ürgüp. It’s 20 kilometres east of Nevşehir, and a lively tourist centre. It has all the characteristics of the region. In Ürgüp you can see how people once lived in houses carved into rocks, along the narrow streets. This is a good place for buying carpets and kilims, as many varieties are offered. It’s also well-known for being tourist friendly, as it is equipped with the best facilities, nightlife, and shopping. Most of us did some shopping there, bought presents for our friends and family. We also took lots of pictures.

IHLARA VALLEY

Cappadocia is truly a land of wonder, as one can find wildly beautiful places that are still relatively uncrowded by tourists. Ihlara is just one such place. Recent guidebooks, especially the Rough Guides and Lonely Planets, often expound the beauty of Ihlara, but when we went, we found few people besides those who took the same small tour as we.

Ihlara is a gorge cut by a deep green river and red cliffs, and the tour guide called in the Turkish Grand Canyon. But the benefit of that hiking was fairly easy, as the path was fairly accessible. Some of us tried hiking and it was worth of it. The scenery was gorgeous, and in addition, there were Byzantine churches galore for exploration. We were successful in taking a couple of pictures of the valley while hiking. Ihlara is one of the few places that inspire absolute joy, for its beauty is just indescribable. We spent only one afternoon there, which was a bare minimum, and we have regretted not taking a one or two-day camping trip in the area. It is another one of those spaces we want to go back before it is visited off the tourist map, and the frescoes become damaged from overtouristing.

UNDERGROUND CITIES

Carved human dwellings did not only occur above ground at the fairy chimneys, but Cappadoccians also carved cities deep into the earth. These places are elaborate enough to accommodate thousands and thousands of people. Although many have been discovered, only a few are open to the public, with the two larges and therefore most famous being Derinkuyu and Kaymaklı.

We were very excited when we drove up to Kaymaklı. We entered a little cave. The little cave led the way down to a maze of tunnels and rooms carved several levels deep into the earth. Signs of life everywhere, blackened communal kitchen, storage jars for oil, wells, and wine presses, and of course, sleeping quarters. The maze means that if you wonder off, you can be lost from the rest, but the holes mean that often, you can hear people but not know where they are. But I suppose that if you do happen to wonder off, you will probably run into a tour group after a while and be rescued. But there are worse things than wondering underneath cool spaces when the weather is hot outside, which it tends to be in July and August. Otherwise, do pay the attention to the posted signage and you will be fine.

Cappadocia is a land, which seems to be a fantasy. Words are inadequate to describe the beauty and charm of the region; you must experience it for yourself. It will certainly take a particular place in your memories and in your photograph album. We’ll never be able to forget that trip.