Cappadocia is about 300 km southeast of Ankara, centrally in the interior of Anatolia, on a plateau ranging from 900 to 1100 meters and at the foot of the dead volcanoes Erciyes Dağ (3916 m) and Hasan Dağ (3258 m) is one of the major tourist attractions of Turkey.
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The fairytale-like area, with rocks in the shape of pointed hats and so-called 'fairy chimneys', underground cities and mysterious hidden churches, attracts more visitors every year. There is hardly a tourist brochure about the country without photos of the wonderful tuff formations of Cappadocia. The area is not only important for its geological history, it also bears interesting traces of thousands of years of habitation. Most visitors to this special region stay in the villages Ürgup, Goreme and avanos, near the most bizarre rock formations, but the area extends much further: between Kirşehir, Aksaray, Niğde and Kayseri it covers almost 2000 km2. The valleys of Cappadocia are dotted with memories of the special processes that take place here in the distant and recent past. To protect this historical legacy, some small parts of the area have been declared a national park by the Turkish government. Unesco, the cultural organization of the United Nations, has also created space in its budget for the preservation of the rocks and churches. However, the question is whether the protection of the monuments will actually be successful. The landscape is increasingly affected by the advancing buildings for tourism.
Many tourists visit the area with tour groups, who only visit the highlights. There are far fewer travelers who visit Cappadocia on their own, but they do come from all parts of the world. Göreme (7 km from Avanos) is located in the center of the national park. It is teeming with guest houses and hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops. Avanos is located on the edge of the national park and fewer tourists stay overnight, so the lake has retained its Turkish character.
The hand of nature
During a late phase of the Tertiary (about 15 million years ago), Cappadocia was subject to great volcanic activity. Dozens of large and small volcanoes spewed their ash and lava over this area. You can still find the now defunct volcanoes in the landscape: the 3916 m high Erciyes Dağ rises near Kayseri and the Hasan Da ligt (3258 m) near Aksaray. Elsewhere in the area, you'll find smaller cones and craters that formed back then. The brown or black obsidian formed during the eruptions reminds in various places of this active period: volcanic glass.
For many centuries, the volcanoes have emitted white, gray and pink ash, occasionally alternating with lava, that the ash managed to compress into a soft, porous rock (tuff). When the volcanoes were extinguished, the formation of the curious formations, such as you now find in the valleys, began. The stratification in the soil is still recognizable.
Because water slowly dissolved and washed away the calcareous tuff, all kinds of erratic shapes arose in this soft layer. The cooled lava (basalt) is much harder than tuff and therefore much less sensitive to erosion. While the porous ash layers were washed away, hard pieces of basalt remained on the soft subsoil. In this way the remarkable pelicaba 's (literally 'fairy chimneys') formed. The hand of nature is still active here: every now and then another 'devil's egg' falls from its tuff pedestal. The erosion of the tuff continues unabated.
History
The name Cappadocia is derived from Katpatuka, probably "land of the thoroughbred horses" in Persian.
The origins of this unusual region can be traced back to the Tertiary period, some 50 million years ago, when craters and chimneys dominated the landscape. Since then, huge amounts of volcanic material have been spewed from the many volcanoes. Forces of erosion have shaped the incredible and unique Cappadocian landscape. For hundreds of years men have dug into the soft but sturdy tuff to create residences, monasteries, churches and underground cities. The tuff is a relatively soft material, which, however, hardens when it comes into contact with air. Initially, the dwellings were carved into the mountain (cave dwellings), with small windows for light and air.
The history of Cappadocia started in prehistoric times. Hattic culture (2500-2000 BC) had its way during the Bronze Age and in the 2nd millennium BC. The Hittites settled in the region. Shortly afterwards (2000-1800 BC) the Assyrians established their trading posts there.
From 1250 BC. the Phrygians lived in Cappadocia, but they were expelled in the mid-6th century BC. by the Persians, who ruled until 334 BC. In 17 AD. the region became a Roman province, the trade and military routes were built during that time, while the formation of urban centers and settlements was encouraged.
It was here that several ancient main roads crossed and different cultures came into contact with each other. The Silk Road is still recognizable by the location of the caravanserais, which are about 40 km apart; the distance a caravan could travel in a day.
It was also the land of the Hittites. The sparsely populated landscape of Cappadocia is characterized by red sandstone and salt deposits of the Miocene (Tertiary). However, the relatively small areas with the fertile soil of volcanic tuff, is the part where the population concentrated. Besides cereals, Cappadocia is most famous for potatoes, fruits and grape cultivation.
Asia Minor came under Christian influence due to the fact that they were persecuted elsewhere for their religious beliefs.
Cappadocia thus became a melting pot of different ethnic groups, all of which influenced culture and religious beliefs. Basil the Great (329-379 AD), Bishop of Caesarea (Kayseri), inspired many religious colonies and for a period of a thousand years, life throughout Cappadocia was dominated by many monastic orders. Invasions, first from Turkmenistan and Mongolia, then from the Seljuks and Ottomans, put an end to the movement.
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