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Information
about
Cappadocia, Turkey
We
organize
hotel and tour packages for Cappadocia and
Hot Air Balloon flights over the region.
Pasabag
Cappadocia, southeast of Ankara, is one of the most
important tourist centers of Turkey, with its unique
geological formations. The forces of erosion and wind
shaped the tuff (volcanic ash) into fantastic shapes
(cones, pyramids, columns, mushrooms, animals etc.)
known as "Peribacalar" or "Fairy Chimneys" and
sculpted out breathtaking valleys. Steep canyons of
andesite and basalt join these valleys to the plateau.
Soganli and Ihlara are canyons in this mold, attaining
a depth of 200m in places. Cappadocia was already
settled in ancient times. Neolithic settlements
discovered at Hacilar, Canhasan and Catalhoyuk date
back as far as ten thousand years! Sometime around
1900 B.C. a folk arrived in the land of the Hatti.
They called themselves the Hittites. Because of the
Hittites, who were excellent breeders and trainers of
horses, the area became known as "Katpatuka" or "Land
of the Beautiful Horses". Near here you can visit the
Hittite cities of Hattusas, Alacahoyuk, Yazilikaya and
the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations (Ankara). Early
Christians seeking refuge from the world's
distractions in wild remote areas came here to pray,
fast and to do penance. In the 4th century A.D., three
prominent Cappadocian saints made the area one of the
earliest major centers of Christian religious life in
the world. They were St. Basil the Great, Gregory of
Naziansus (Nigde) and Gregory of Nyssa (Nevsehir).
Karanlik Church, Goreme
There are estimates of more than one thousand
churches, chapels and monasteries cut into the rock,
nearly 150 of which have original frescoes or mural
paintings. The largest concentration is found near Goreme, Urgup, Ortahisar, Soganli and Ihlara Valley.
Here are some of Turkey's most charming hotels made
from old volcanic stone houses and cave dwellings. A
minimum of two days is recommended in Cappadocia, as
there are many things to see.
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