2-Day-Tour of Cappadocia

ounding landscape of valleys, mountains, and towns. The tallest fairy chimney in Cappadocia is carved with numerous rooms, tunnels, stairs, rock tombs, and a large water cistern.

he region is an amazing cave town, honeycombed with dwellings, religious and secular chambers. Zelve is situated about 10 km out from Goreme on the Avanos road. Here, the Christians and Muslims lived together in perfect harmony, until 1924. Then Christians had to leave the Valley because of the exchange of minorities between Greece and Turkey, and the Muslims were forced to evacuate the Valley in the 50's when life became dangerous due to risk of erosion. They left the site to set up a modern village, a little further on, to which they gave the name Yeni Zelve (New Zelve).

ngest river of Turkey, the Kızılırmak (Red River), which also separates Avanos from the rest of Cappadocia. The most famous historical feature of Avanos, which is still relevant and very visible today, is its production of earthenware pottery; it is also the most economic activity in the town. The ceramic trade in this district and its countless pottery factories date right back to the Hittites, and the ceramic clay from the red silt of the Kızılırmak has always been used. It is a popular destination because of its attractive old town with cobbled streets, and views over the river.

n the Cappadocia region, especially around Göreme. Although they were independent of monasteries and churches, they were an important social community. What made Cappadocia the centre of religious thought and life in the 3rd century was the presence of clergy with powerful character. In the following century, the region was known as the hometown of the three great clergy. These were the Bishop of Kaisareia, Basileios, his brother Gregorios of Nyssagia and Gregorios of Nazianus. Basileios, known as the ‘Great’, returned to his hometown, Kaisareia, the headquarters of the Cappadocia region, to devote himself to the monastic life. He was also effective in spreading the monastery life collectively.

a “negative” architecture, created by removing rather than adding material, its central dome showing the imposing figure of Christ Pantocrator (the All-Powerful), initially carried by four columns - only one of which remains today, leaving the dome seemingly afloat. Arches spring from the columns to pilasters, engaged columns attached to the walls, forming corner bays which are also roofed by small cupolas depicting the Archangels. Three apses define the sanctuary area on the eastern side of the church. In the central apse, fragments of an originally tall altar screen and of the rounded altar still remain in place. All in all, an interior space that had assimilated architectural and functional elements of built monuments and was transformed into the most fashionable compound church plan of its time, utilising the properties of the soft and easily sculpted local volcanic tuff.

Caves may have first been built in the soft volcanic rock by the Phrygians, an Indo-European people, in the 8th–7th centuries B.C., according to the Turkish Department of Culture. When the Phrygian language died out in Roman times, replaced with Greek, to which it was related, the inhabitants, now Christians, expanded their caverns adding the chapels and inscriptions. The city was greatly expanded and deepened in the Byzantine era, when it was used for protection from Muslim Arab raids during the four centuries of Arab–Byzantine wars (780-1180). The city was connected with Derinkuyu underground city through miles of tunnels. Some artifacts discovered in these underground settlements belong to the Middle Byzantine Period, between the 5th and the 10th centuries A.D. These cities continued to be used by the Christian inhabitants as protection from the Mongolian incursions of Timur in the 14th century.

he southeastern part of the region of Cappadocia. The valley contains several rock-cut churches and other rock-cut buildings, carved from the soft tuff stone of the Cappadocian landscape. The village of Aşağı Soğanlı ('Lower Soğanlı') is located at the southeastern end of the valley. The valley splits into northern and southern sections at the village of Yukarı Soğanlı ('Upper Soğanlı'). The valley was inhabited by Byzantine monks from the 9th to the 13th centuries AD. They are responsible for around a hundred churches that have been found in the valley and connected rock-cut houses and cloisters, most of which are now buried, ruined, or used as stables. There are also notable dovecotes carved into the cliffs, with entry holes marked out on the cliff using white paint.

sights in Cappadocia en route to Soganli Valley. The ancient city was discovered by some treasure-hunters working in the fields in 2002. Today, you can see the only Roman Ancient City in Cappadocia with the help of researches and excavations. The archeologists have uncovered the Roman Bath Section, Agora, The Basilica and The Bouleterion buildings. There is still a lot to be excavated in this city, but as the government is not funding enough, the archeologists are only able to excavate every 2 years for around 3 months. The Roman Bath section has a proper hypocaust (in-floor heating system) central heating system, which still can be seen. The Agora is located right next to the bath and is a basic shopping mall of ancient times.