Cappadocia

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Cappadocia

Cappadocia is an ancient region in central Turkey, located on a rocky flat north of the Taurus Mountains. Historically, the area’s borders have shifted. Erosion has sculpted the soft volcanic rock that makes up most of Cappadocia’s topography into towers, cones, valleys, and caverns. The region is dotted with rock-cut churches and tunnel systems dating back to the Byzantine and Islamic ages.

Cappadocia is one of Turkey’s most visited tourist destinations due to its unearthly vistas and its popularity as a hot air ballooning destination. Honeycombed stones rise oddly from the Central Anatolian plateau, which has seen its fair share of interesting history unfold against its unusual setting throughout the years. Formerly the centre of the Hittite Empire, this area also produced some of the early Christian thinkers. In recent years, Cappadocia has become one of Turkey’s most popular tourist spots. We hope these 10 fascinating facts about Cappadocia will help you better understand this fascinating place.

Climate in Cappadocia

Most people say that September and October are the best times to visit Cappadocia, but the other months can also be amazing. For example, you might like Cappadocia better in the winter when the landscape is covered in snow and it is the calmest.

We’ve been to Cappadocia in different seasons, so we’ve put together this guide to the best time to go so you can make an informed decision when planning your Cappadocia trip and get the most out of it.

The desert’s day-to-night temperature swings are as dramatic as one would imagine. A new season begins in Cappadocia once the sun goes down.

When travelling to Cappadocia, travellers should have appropriate clothing and gear. Even in the summer, you should bring more than just a t-shirt and shorts since nights may become chilly even in the middle of the day. Hot air balloon rides often take place in the early mornings, when it is still rather chilly outside and you are quite high above the earth.

Cappadocia sees the majority of its visitors throughout the summer. Cappadocia attracts tourists from all over the globe due to its many fascinating sights.

Summer is not the best season to visit Cappadocia, despite how crowded it is. Cappadocia’s arid climate makes it difficult to get respite from the sun. Due to the lack of cloud cover, the high temperatures, and the lack of breeze, sunburns and other skin problems are common among the visiting public.

Travelers should always carry water with them.

These are the driest months of the year. Low persistent breezes throughout the summer make it ideal for hot air balloon rides above Cappadocia.

Things to do in Cappadocia

  • Hot Air Balloon
  • Churches of Göreme Open-Air Museum
  • Horse Ride in Red and Rose Valleys
  • Göreme
  • Zelve Open-Air Museum
  • Ihlara Valley
  • Kayseri

Hot Air Balloon

Balloons fly every day of the year, unless they have to be cancelled because of bad weather. Most of the time, your flight plan takes you over the area with the Red, Rose, and Meskendir Valleys. However, if the wind is blowing in a different direction, you may have to fly over other nearby areas.

Rides in hot-air balloons take about an hour (with deluxe packages lasting around 90 minutes). Most tours also include a breakfast buffet and pick-up and drop-off from your hotel.

Note that if you go to Cappadocia from Istanbul just to go hot-air ballooning, you have to stay at least one night because the tours start so early in the morning.

Churches of Göreme Open-Air Museum

The Goreme Open Air Museum comprises a tiny portion, possibly 5%, of the river valley known as Goreme Valley. The Goreme Valley is one kilometer long, commencing near the Goreme Open Air Museum and going northwest, where it opens out into a wide, sandy valley. The valley is intersected by the dry riverbed to the south of the asphalt road. Numerous churches, chapels, and refractories populate the expansive valley.

In 1985, UNESCO designated the Goreme Open Air Museum as a World Heritage Site in order to preserve and properly exhibit Cappadocia’s finest cave churches. The Turkish government constructed roads, parking spaces, and stores in addition to the Open Air Museum to accommodate the daily influx of thousands of visitors. These efforts were beneficial and essential, but they produced a spotlight effect, wherein people only saw the sites inside the Open Air Museum and ignored all of the surrounding churches. The chapels of the Goreme Open-Air Museum must be comprehended in the context of the whole valley.

Horse Ride in Red and Rose Valleys

The land of Cappadocia, known for its stunning horses. In the region of Cappadocia, horses were formerly an essential mode of transportation as well as a significant contributor to the economics of individual households. The area of Cappadocia, which takes great care to preserve its history and culture, has emerged in recent years as one of the most significant hubs for horse riding. To the point where, as a consequence of the growth of tourism in the area, horseback riding has assumed its position as one of the most significant activities for regional tourism.

Göreme

Within the Cappadocia region of central Turkey is where you’ll find the town of Goreme. Cave churches and frescoes dating from the 10th to 12th centuries can be found at the Goreme Open Air Museum, which is located just east of the town. Uchisar Castle is located in the southwest, and it is a fortification that has been carved into a large rock. From the top, there are panoramic views. “Fairy chimneys,” which are cone-shaped rock formations, are a distinctive feature of the landscape in the Paşaba Valley, which is located to the north.

Zelve Open-Air Museum

Following its use as a monastery from the 9th to the 13th century, Zelve was transformed into a community. These days, the sinewy valley walls of the valley, topped with knobbly rock antennae, make for an incredibly picturesque place to go exploring.

The valleys were inhabited until 1952, when it was decided that they were too dangerous to live in and the villagers were resettled a few kilometers away in Aktepe, also known as Yeni Zelve. Since then, the valleys have remained uninhabited. Although erosion is continuing to eat away at the valley structures and certain areas are cordoned off due to rockfalls, there is an excellent walking trail that loops around the valleys, providing access to the various caverns. The impressive Üzümlü Kilise (Grape Church) and the neighboring Balkli Kilise (Fish Church), which features fish as a subject in one of the primitive paintings, are both located in Valley One. Valley One is also home to the old deirmen (mill), which features a grindstone. A modest rock-cut mosque with few embellishments may be seen in Valley Three.

Ihlara Valley

An important city among the canyons all over the world is located in the Ihlara Valley, which is located within the confines of the Güzelyurt District in the Aksaray Province.

18 km. Ihlara Valley has the distinction of being the largest canyon in the world where people live in historical periods. Unlike other canyons, Ihlara Valley has an area that is 150 meters in depth, 200 meters in width, and thousands of living spaces in its structure. This gives it the distinction of being the largest canyon in the world. The Melendiz River, which helps to form the Ihlara Valley and provides life to the area, is the primary driver of biological activity in this region. Ihlara Valley is widely regarded as one of the most significant cultural and historical hubs in all of human history as a result of the presence of hundreds of rock carvings and churches that were carved out of the natural rock formations that surround the valley.

Kayseri

Outstanding Seljuk Turkish architecture (from the 1100s to the 1200s) and attractive bazaars may be seen in the historic city of Kayseri (KA-ee-seh-ree, Caesarea; elevation: 3458 feet/1054 meters; population: 900,000). Kayseri is located on the eastern side of Cappadocia (map).

Kayseri’s old houses, which are located in the shadow of Erciyes Da (Mount Aergeus, 3916 meters; 12,848 ft), stand in stark contrast to the glittering ski slopes that can be seen on Erciyes.

In contrast to the bright volcanic tufa used in the construction of buildings in Cappadocia, the majority of the historic structures in Kayseri are formed of gloomy, black volcanic stone.

However, the Citadel of Kayseri as well as its Great Mosques and Medreses continue to be outstanding examples of Seljuk Turkish Art. This is a rundown of the attractions and activities available.

If you are staying in Ürgüp, Goreme, or one of the other towns in Cappadocia, you may take a minibus or drive yourself to Kayseri and visit the majority of the city’s attractions during a morning or afternoon trip (map). The Hilton Kayseri Hotel is the most recommended spot to stay during your visit.

In Turkey, the people of Kayseri are well-known for their commercial savvy, or, to put it another way, they have a reputation for being shrewd businesspeople. However, if you go to the city’s two old market buildings, the Bedesten and the Vezir Han, both of which are located close to the Ulu Cami (Great Mosque) in the city center, you will discover that the people there are quite friendly.