Oh, how I remember the days when you could only get good meals in summer in Cappadocia.
In summer, chefs and staff would come from larger cities to the towns of Cappadocia and prepare good, if simple, meals. But the rest of the year, Cappadocian towns reverted from tourism to farming, and only the very simplest restaurants stayed open.
Those times are long gone. With Turkey now numbered among the world's top ten tourist destinations, Cappadocia now boasts some excellent year-round restaurants serving locals and visitors alike.
Here are my favorites:
Sömine (Ürgüp)The name (shuh-mee-NEH) means "fireplace," but there's also air conditioning for summer, open-air terrace dining for pleasant evenings, excellent food and service, and moderate prices.
Local Restaurant (Göreme)Comfortable, welcoming, reliable, moderately-priced: all the virtues, with pleasant indoor and outdoor dining right where Göreme's main street meets the road to the Göreme Valley.
Culture Museum & Restaurant-Cafe (Ortahisar)Set right in Ortahisar's main square, this is a felicitous combination of ethnographic museum and fine restaurant with both indoor dining rooms and open-air terrace.
Old Greek House (Mustafapasa)Its name tells you about the building—an authentic, unrestored Ottoman Greek mansion—but not about the cuisine: home cooking, served (if you like) Turkish-style, at a circular table set on the floor.
Ziggy's Shoppe & Cafe (Ürgüp)The perfect place for a light lunch or dinner, an after-dinner drink, and conversation (romantic, or with friends) on an open-air terrace or next to a cozy fire, with cool jazz in the background.
Elai Restaurant (Uçhisar)Whaddaya mean I'm not in Istanbul? The sophistication of this white-tablecloth place makes you wonder, but the panoramic view from the terrace could only be Cappadocia. Alaturca (Göreme) Large and comfortable, with attentive service, tasty food and a good list of libations.
Here's how to get to Cappadocia from other parts of Turkey. In general, bus and plane are the best ways.
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Ankara—CappadociaBus and car are the easiest way, train longer and less convenient. Forget the plane—there are no direct flights:
There are no non-stop flights between Ankara and Cappadocia, the trains (see below) are slow and run mostly at inconvenient times, so the best way to go is by road: bus or car.
By BusNevtur buses depart Ankara's ASTI main bus terminal about every two hours for Nevsehir (and vice-versa). The journey takes 4 hours, including a 25-minute stop about 1-1/4 hours into the journey to stretch your legs, use the toilet, have a glass of tea, a meal or a smoke (no smoking on the bus). The fare is YTL20.
When you arrive at Nevsehir's bus terminal, you'll be transferred to a minibus for the final part of your journey to one of Cappadocia's towns such as Göreme, Uçhisar or Ürgüp. The cost of the minibus trip is usually included in your bus ticket fare.
Buy your ticket at Nevtur, ASTI ticket counter no. 50. It's best to buy yor ticket in advance if you can, but most of the time you can just show up at ASTI, buy your ticket, and be on your way on the next bus. (That's what I do.)
If you're going to travel during a national holiday or religious holiday period, you should reserve your bus seat in advance to avoid delay or disappointment.
By CarFight your way through Ankara traffic to the E-90 highway south, following signs for Aksaray, 219 km (136 miles, 3 hours). At Aksaray, turn left (east) following signs for Nevsehir, 73 km (45 miles, 1 hour).
Just at the junction of E-90 and the Nevsehir highway in Aksaray is the Orhan Agaçli Tesisleri, an elaborate commercial highway rest stop with a motel, restaurant, cafeteria, snack stands, toilets, souvenir shops, fuel and service stations, even a small mosque.
By TrainThe main railway line runs from Ankara to Kayseri, then splits, one line running east to Sivas, the other south to Nigde, Karaman and Adana, skirting Cappadocia to the east and south.
Express trains take about seven hours to cover the distance between Ankara and Kayseri. (Compare this to the bus's four hours from Ankara to Nevsehir.)
Erzurum Ekspresi leaves Ankara in early afternoon and arrives at Kayseri in the evening. Güney Ekspresi departs Ankara early in the morning, and arrives at Kayseri in mid-afteroon. Çukurova Mavi Tren and Dogu Ekspresi depart Ankara in the evening and arrive at Kayseri in the middle of the night.
A taxi between Ankara Gar (railway station) and ASTI (main bus terminal) takes about 10 minutes in light traffic, and costs about YTL10.
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Antalya—CappadociaThere may be a direct flight soon, but right now you must fly via Istanbul, or (better) go by bus or car:
By BusOvernight buses run between Antalya and Nevsehir, about 9 or 10 hours. From Nevsehir, you continue to your Cappadocian town by minibus. You might also decide to take a bus to Konya, see the sights there, spend the night, and continue to your destination the next day.
By CarThe 586-km (364-mile) drive takes between 8 and 9 hours, depending on how you drive, how often you stop, and whether you're going north uphill to Konya or south down the mountains to Antalya.
It's an interesting ride, along the ancient Silk Road past the Sultanhani and other Seljuk Turkish caravanserais to Konya (good for a meal or overnight stop), then through mountain country down to the Mediterranean coast.
By PlaneTo fly between Antalya and Cappadocia you must go via Istanbul. The flights take about 90 minutes each, but getting to the airport, checking in, passing through security, boarding, transferring, waiting again, flying again, collecting your luggage and transferring from the airport can add up almost to the time it takes to go by bus or car.
There are flights between Antalya and Ankara. Then you must take a bus or drive from Ankara to Cappadocia. More...
Check with one of my recommended travel agencies to see if there is a nonstop flight between Kayseri and Antalya yet.
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Istanbul—CappadociaSeveral options: daily nonstop flights to Kayseri (and a few weekly to Nevsehir), direct overnight buses, or sleeper train-and-bus via Ankara or Konya:
You have a choice of ways to travel from Istanbul to Cappadocia, in central Anatolia.
By PlaneFastest, though not easiest or cheapest, there are daily (morning and afternoon) nonstop flights from Istanbul to Kayseri on Turkish Airlines and Onur Air, and occasional flights from Istanbul to Nevsehir's airport at Tuzköy.
Shuttle vans can take you from Kayseri airport directly to your Cappadocian hotel. The entire journey from your Istanbul hotel to your Cappadocian hotel can be done in 4 to 5 hours, if all goes well. More...
If you're arriving from abroad and you plan to visit both Istanbul and Cappadocia, consider leaving your Istanbul visit until the end of your trip. Arrive at Istanbul's Atatürk Airport International Terminal on your international flight, walk to the Domestic terminal, and catch a flight directly to Cappadocia (if the connection timing works.) You'll save yourself a back-and-forth transfer from the airport and an unpacking and repacking at your Istanbul hotel.
Turkish domestic flights are often much more expensive if purchased outside of Turkey, so you should consider having a good Turkish travel agent make your internal flight reservations. They can help with any other arrangements (private guides, hotels, rental cars, yacht cruises) you may need as well. More...
By BusA night bus from Istanbul to Cappadocia is the cheapest way to go, but it's a long ride—730 km (454 miles, about 12 hours). Still, if you can sleep on buses, this may be your favored way.
The most efficient way is to ask your hotel to help you reserve your seat. Leaving from Istanbul, board your bus at the Harem Bus Terminal if possible. Your journey will be almost an hour shorter than if you board at the main bus terminal (Büyük Otogar) in Esenler.
By Train & BusIt takes a bit longer, but it's more comfortable and fun: board the Ankara Ekspresi sleeping car train at Istanbul's Haydarpasa Station in the late evening, arrive at Ankara Gar the next morning, take a short taxi ride (10 minutes, YTL10) to ASTI, Ankara's main bus terminal, and buy a ticket for the 4-hour ride to Nevsehir in Cappadocia. (Here's more on taking the bus.)
It's a longer trip, but more comfortable and enjoyable, and not expensive considering that you save a night's hotel expense by taking the sleeper train.
An alternative is to ride the nightly Meram Ekspresi sleeper train from Istanbul to Konya, then take a bus for the 3-hour ride east to Nevsehir.
By CarIt's a long drive (730 km/454 miles, 11 or 12 hours), and it only makes economic sense if several people share the car and the fuel expense. Use the otoyol (expressway) between Istanbul and Ankara to save time, then follow the E-90 highway south from Ankara to Aksaray, then go east along the ancient Silk Road to Nevsehir.
Leaving Istanbul is a traffic nightmare, but the otoyol then goes through some mountain scenery. The countryside south of Ankara is more monotonous.
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Izmir & Ephesus—Cappadocia Several Kayseri-Izmir flights weekly, direct buses, and an interesting (if long) drive, or sleeper train-and-bus via Ankara.:
Many travelers in Turkey want go between the Ephesus region south of Izmir, and Cappadocia in Central Anatolia.
It's 720 km (447 miles), a drive of nearly 12 hours, so most people going by car or bus break their journey with an overnight in Pamukkale or Konya, or both.
By BusYou may find a direct bus all the way from Nevsehir to Izmir, but it's also possible you'll have to change buses enroute—not a big problem. From Izmir there are frequent minibuses south to Selçuk, Ephesus and Kusadasi.
If you plan to spend a night in Konya or Pamukkale along the way, you may have direct buses for both segments of your journey.
By CarMost travelers choose to drive via the Meander River valley, from Selçuk via Aydin to Denizli and Pamukkale, so they can detour to ancient Aphrodisias along the way, then spend the night at Pamukkale. This makes a good first day of travel (190 km, 118 miles, about 3 hours, not counting the detour to Aphrodisias).
On the second day, it's 306 km (190 miles, 5 to 6 hours) from Pamukkale to Konya through Turkey's lake country. Stop at Egirdir for lunch, and enjoy the scenery. Stay the night at Konya to see its great Seljuk Turkish buildings (especially the Mevlana [Rumi] Museum). The next day, continue east along the ancient Silk Road via Sultanhani to Nevsehir, Cappadocia (221 km, 137 miles, 3 hours) on Day 3.
For details, see my 5-Day Ephesus—Cappadocia Driving Itinerary.
By PlaneSun Express has Izmir-Kayseri and Kayseri-Izmir flights several times weekly from April through October. It's worth planning your Cappadocia visit around these flights, because if you don't fly directly, you must fly via Istanbul, which takes more time and expense. See my 5-Day Fly-Drive Itinerary.
By Train & Bus If you're not in a great hurry, one of my favorite ways to do this journey is by sleeper train from Izmir to Ankara, then bus from Ankara to Cappadocia. You board the train in late afternoon, dine aboard, bed down in your private sleeping compartment, breakfast on the train, and arrive in Ankara in the morning. A quick taxi ride (10 minutes, YTL10) takes you from the Ankara Gar to Ankara's ASTI main bus terminal, where you buy a bus ticket for the 4-hour ride to Nevsehir
Bus and car are the ways to get to Ürgüp—no train. To come by airplane you fly to Kayseri or Nevsehir and take an airport shuttle van or taxi to Ürgüp. More...
The Turkish Airlines shuttle van from Kayseri takes exactly one hour to travel to Ürgüp. The normal bus takes a bit longer (more stops).
Distances & Travel Times
Ankara: 308 km (191 miles) N, 4-1/2 hours
Antalya: 615 km (382 miles) SW, 8-1/2 hours
Avanos: 13 km (8 miles) NW, 15 minutes
Göreme Open-Air Museum: 7 km (4.3 miles) W, 15 minutes
Göreme Town: 8 km (5 miles) W, 18 minutes
Istanbul: 725 km (451 miles) NW, 11 hours
Kayseri: 80 km (50 miles) E, 1-1/4 hours
Konya: 250 km (155 miles) W, 3 hours
Nevsehir: 23 km (14 miles) W, 25 minutes
Uçhisar: 10 km (6 miles) W, 20 minutes
Underground Cities: 20 km (12 miles) SW, 25 minutes to Kaymakli, 30 km (19 miles), 40 minutes to Derinkuyu
Ürgüp has traditionally been the tourism center of Central Anatolia's Cappadocia region (map), though nowadays nearby Göreme Town has become an equally important touring base.
It used to be that Ürgüp was for upscale visitors and tour groups, and Göreme for backpackers, but that has changed. There are now excellent boutique hotels and inns in both towns, although Ürgüp does have many more of these.
The center of Ürgüp (EWR-gewp, pop. 15,000) boasts many fine old houses of carved Cappadocian stone. The soft volcanic tufa lends itself to carving for decoration and to expansion: if the house needs a new room, the residents merely hollow one out of the hillside into which the house is built.
Like most Cappadocian towns, Ürgüp clings to the walls of a valley and tumbles down along the valley floor for some distance.
The town has many fine inns with cave rooms such as the Esbelli Evi, as well as cheaper pensions. On the outskirts of the town toward Kayseri are large modern hotels designed for tour groups.
The best restaurants in Ürgüp are Sömine (shur-mee-NEH, "fireplace") right in the center atop the shopping complex, and Ziggy's out of the center up the hill toward Esbelli district. More...
The center of Ürgüp has shops, a historic hamam (Turkish bath), and the Temenni Hill, a high rock ledge looming above the very center of town, with a saint's tomb at its edge. Temenni was a favorite place to go for the fine view, and to watch the sunset, but in spring 2007 a section of the rock collapsed on several buildings in the town, so the viewing terrace is being reconstructed.
If you plan to take a hot-air balloon flight, and you're staying in Ürgüp, your ballooning company will pick you up from your Ürgüp hotel and drive you to the launch site.
Argeus Travel is a good tour and travel agency in Ürgüp. In fact, they run the Turkish Airlines shuttle buses between Ürgüp and Kayseri's Erkilet Airport. and also run the best restaurant: the Sömine, right in the center of town.
Cappadocia is a mysterious natural museum, a surrealistic lunar landscape of fairy chimneys and strange rock formations chiselled by the able hand of nature.
Additon to this the early Christian rock churches, the pre-historic underground cities and the vineyards producing the characteristic local wines, and you have a unique experience, which will be forever imprinted on your mind. The resort is also one of the most important congress centres of Turkey.
No one knows when the underground cities of Cappadocia were built, perhaps in Hittite times or as late as the 6C AD. There were certainly underground cities as early as the 5C BC. They are referred to by a 5 and 4C BC Athenian historian Xenophon in his Anabasis. So far 36 underground cities have been discovered some of them being very recent. It is also estimated that most of them are connected to each other. But it is difficult to identify these connections.
The ground consists of the same volcanic tufa. Cappadocians created vast cities which cannot be noticed from the ground level. They carved airshafts as deep as 85 m / 300 ft into the rock and then made holes laterally at different levels in all directions. They hewed an elaborate system of staircases and tunnels to connect all layers to the surface. They dug dwellings, bathrooms, kitchens, dining halls, storage rooms, wine cellars, chapels, graves and suchlike. In times of danger they provided security by rolling big round hard stones across strategic tunnels. Entrances at the surface were also camouflaged.
Today even from some of the modern houses there are man-made holes leading to underground passages most of which are used as cellars.
Kaymakli Yeralti Kenti (Underground City of Kaymakli)
It is one of the largest underground cities in Cappadocia with eight stories. It covers an area of approximately 4 km² / 1.5 sq mi. Visitors can see only about 10% of the city by going down a maximum of five floors. It probably is connected to nearby Derinkuyu. It was opened to visitors in 1964. The population of Kaymakli is thought to have been about 3,000.
Derinkuyu Yeralti Kenti (Underground City of Derinkuyu)
The underground city of Derinkuyu which means "deep well", like Kaymakli, is one of the largest. It was opened in 1965. It is 70-85 m / 230-300 ft deep with 53 airshafts. The original ventilation system still functions remarkably well. It is not recommended that visitors having problems of claustrophobia or restricted movement go inside since there are many passageways where one has to squat.
The first two floors under the surface housed a missionary school with two long rock-cut tables, baptismal place, kitchens, storehouses, living quarters, wine cellars and stables. Third and fourth floors were for the tunnels, places to hide and armories. The last floors had water wells, hidden passageways, a church, graves and a confession place.
It is estimated that there are more than 600 rock-cut churches in Cappadocia. These churches that people carved were similar in plan to the ones in the capital. Walls were covered with beautiful frescoes and they were also influenced by the Iconoclast period in the 8C and 9C. Most of the frescoes date from the 11C and 12C.
Two different techniques were employed for the frescoes, they were either painted directly on the rock or on a very thin coat of plaster. In churches where it was not plastered over, the painting became extensive. The predominant color of this style was red ocher.
In many pictures it is noted that eyes or faces of people are obliterated as it was believed that this action killed the painted subject in the Islamic period. In addition to this there are also many scratches of vandals’ initials which is strictly forbidden today. The visitor should be reminded that the use of flash with cameras inside the churches is not allowed.
The simplest church had a rectangular vaulted nave with an apse covered by a projecting arch. There are many variations of the churches, some with triple apse and a dome, cross-planned and so on. Because the churches were carved into the rock, they did not need to be supported by columns. Therefore columns and vaults are only structural symbols. Names of the churches are based on their archeological style or decoration, for instance the Buckle or Sandal Church. The apses of the churches face different directions as they are carved in accordance with the natural formations and availability of suitable rock pieces.
In most churches there are many grave pits which are thought to have probably belonged to donors or the church dignitaries as this was the tradition.
Avanos is set on the banks of the Kizilirmak, the Red River, which gets its name from the clay that it deposits. This clay has provided Avanos with pottery for centuries and the town is still dominated by this industry despite the inroads that tourism has made in the area. The main street has numerous shops and workshops selling plain and decorated pots and plates and you can watch the potters at work using kick wheels, the design of which has remained unchanged for generations. Many of the workshops will encourage you to have a go yourself. It's harder than it looks.
The present population of the district is 15.900.
In 1750 there existed 56 dwellings at Avanos. Kurena Arif Bey of Avanos, who was an official of the palace during the reign of Abdülhamid II, had made great efforts for the development of Avanos. A revival is observed at Avanos after the first half of the 18th century. Houses were being built with reliefs on the facades and magnificent interior decorations. One of these houses, an Ottoman house remaining up to the present day, was built 1872 and still preserves its original beauty.
There are around 10 hotels and two three pensions to be found. Avanos is reknown for its restaurants, bars and discos.
History of Avanos
We learn from the findings obtained in the excavations initiated in 1967 at the Topaklı village by Italians and still continuing at present, that the oldest known history goes back to the bronze and iron ages. It has been determined from a Hittite tablet found at Boğazköy, Hattuşaş in 1926, showing that the residents of the region had communicated with each other and read by philologist Emile Forrer, that Avanos was called Zuwinasa in the Hittite era. Michel Condoz found out from an Assyrian tablet in the region that Avanos was called Nenassa in the Assyrian era. The Geographia1 of Strabon writes that the emperor of Rome, Tiberius Caesar (14-17 AD) and the Roman Senate had resolved to make this region a Roman province after the death of Archelaos, the last king of the Cappadocian Kingdom (17 AD). The Byzantine sources mention the Region as Venasa at the earlier Christian era. Strabon mentions this name as Ouenasa as written in Hellenic and says that the region is renown for the Ouenasa Zeus temple. Moreover, he makes no mention of other towns in the region. Accordingly, we can assume that the town in the Venasa region had flourished in the late Middle Ages and named after the region.
As for the origin and meaning of the Ouenasa / Venasa, we know that Vanassa means queen in the Anatolian Pamphillian language, a successor of the Luwi language of 1000 BC. We can mention the script on the town coins (Pergessus) which describe Artemis of Pergessus as Vanassa Prella (the hill of Pergessus). Most probably, the Venasa in the Cappadocian language, which is another successor of the Luwi language, is not anything other than the mentioned Venassa, which signifies the Mother Goddess. It is again probable that the Mother Goddess temple in this area in the Morimene region, which proves by its name that this was a centre of Mother Goddess worship dominant at Cappadocia, had been owned, as seen in many regions, by a Hellenistic goddess during the Hellenization age. While this owning is generally attributed to Artemis or Apollo (sometimes both jointly), here as in Euromos and few other places, the temple of Mother Goddess was owned by Zeus.
If you intend to travel to Cappadocia, then you should plan to stay more than only three days! There are many places to must see in Cappadocia like: Fairy Chimneys, Göreme Valley National Park and rock churches, underground cities of Kaymaklı, Derinkuyu, Mazı, Özkonak, Tatların; Zelve Valley, Avanos with its pottery, Uçhisar and Ortahisar rock fortress, Ürgüp, Mustafapaşa (Sinasos) with old greek houses, Ihlara and Soganlı valleys, Hacıbektaş with its Alevi culture, Sultansazlığı bird paradise. In summer (from 6th of May to 8th of November) several alternative tours can be arranged: Hot-air balloon trip over the chimneys; trekking; walking; horse riding; motorbike or mountain biking around the valleys.
Cappadocia's name was derived from Katpatuka, probably "land of the thoroughbred horses", in Persian language. Cappadocia is generally regarded as the plains and the mountainous region of eastern central Anatolia around the upper and middle reaches of the river Kızılırmak (Red River). It was here that several ancient highways crossed and different cultures came into contact with each other. It was also the land of the Hittites. The sparsely inhabited landscape of Cappadocia is characterized by red sandstone and salt deposits of the Miocene (Tertiary) period. However, the relatively small areas of fertile soil on volcanic tuff is where the population tends to concentrate. This southern part of Cappadocia, the more densely populated, is often spoken of as the heart of the region and yet it lies in the extreme south-western corner. As well as cereals, Cappadocia is best known for potatoes, fruits and wine.
The origins of this unusual region can be traced to the Tertiary period some 50 million years ago, when craters and chimneys dominated the landscape. Since then huge quantities of volcanic material have spewed out of the many volcanoes. Forces of erosion have shaped the incredible and unique Cappadocian tuff-coned landscape. For hundreds of years men have dug into the soft but firm tuff to create dwellings, monasteries, churches and underground cities.
The history of Cappadocia began in prehistoric times.
Hatti culture (2500-2000 BC.) had its way during the Bronze Age and in about the 2nd millenium BC. The Hittites settled in the region.
Soon the Assyrians (2000-1800 BC.) had established their trading posts.
Phrygians probably ruled Cappadocia from 1250 BC., but
the Lydians were expelled by the middle of the 6th century BC by the Persians who ruled until 334 BC.
In AD. 17 the region became a Roman province, trade and military routes were built and urban centres and settlements were encourage.
As Asia Minor came under Christian influence, the first Christian communities appeared in Cappadocia and those persecuted for their religious beliefs elsewhere sought refuge in the region.
Cappadocia thus became a melting pot of a variety of ethnic groups, all of which have influenced the culture and religious beliefs. Basilius the Great (329-379 AD), bishop of Caesarea (Kayseri), inspired many religious colonies and for a thousand years an active monastic way of life endured throughout Cappadocia. Invasions first from Turkmenistan and Mongolia and then from Seljuks and Ottomans put an end to the movement.
One note for tourists traveling with guide (I call it sheep tourism!): shopping should be rather done without accompaniment because there are sometimes commissions of over 30 percent for the guide!
The oldest completed knotted carpet, dated to 5th century BC, was found in the frozen tomb of a nomadic chieftan at Pazyrk in the Altai Mountains. It is believed that the art and craft of the knotted pile carpet began, then developed and flourished to a high technical and artistic level amidst the pastoral nomads in the steppes of central Asia. The knotted carpet then reached the middle east in the 8th or 9th centuries with the nomadic Turkish tribes who began migrating into the region at that time. Very little is then known about the history of the carpet until the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries when examples from the Turkish Selcuk Period were found in various Turkish mosques. these Selcuk examples are today on display in the Turkish and Islamic Arts museum. Often depicted in european paintings in the 16th century, carpets were used by the artist to indicate the high economic and social status of the subject.
Modern Carpet History really began in the 19th century, when large cottage industry and workshop productions flourished to meet the ever increasing demand for handmade carpets on the international markets.
Pazyrk
Our carpets at Indigo Gallery are meticulously chosen to reflect the finest creative skill and technical quality of some of Asia's greatest unknown women artists.
In recent years there has been a rapidly increasing interest in carpets. Many books, catalogues, introductory texts and more specialised works have appeared and yet despite all the research put into these publications, the subject of carpets still bewilders and confuses some people. Despite this carpets are still highly sought after, with their rich warm tones, and extraordinary patterns and motifs. Each hand made carpet is a totally individual work of art representing a level of craftsmanship seldom surpassed.
In this brief introduction we hope to give you a greater insight into the history, traditions and wonderful uniqueness of artistry, that ensures the continued demand for high quality hand made carpets throught out the world.
* Kapadokya Museum Hotel
* Kapadokya Gul Konakları
* Kapadokya Cave Suites
* Kapadokya Anatolian Houses
* Kapadokya Esbelli Evi
* Kapadokya Yunak Evleri
* Les Maisons De Cappadocia
* Kapadokya Elkep Evleri
* Kapadokya Sacred House
* Kapadokya Gamirasu
* Kapadokya Kelebek Hotel
* Kapadokya Kayadam Hotel
* CCR
Enjoy a highly specialized ‘Lifestyle Walking Tour’ that takes you into traditional village family life of Central Cappadocia visiting local homes and rock-hewn villages and exploring many spectacular lesser-known valleys such as the Pigeon’s valley, the White valley, and other unspoiled sights of the Central Anatolia plateau. (app 14 kms hiking) In the late afternoon, enjoy a kilim weaving demonstration and educational session on the centuries’ old craft of carpet weaving.
This tour is specially designed to discover the hidden treasures of many out of the way, spectacular, interesting and realistic sights of Cappadocia. Our first stop is at the fascinating multilevel underground city of Kaymakli. Continue to Soganli Valley, also known as the ‘Valley of Dolls’ with its many Byzantine period rock tombs, enjoying a leisurely hike and exploring the Greek style churches and monastery ruins. Then we pass through the remote villages of Guzeloz, Ortakoy, Baskoy and Sahinefendi. We visit Taskinpasa Caravanserai, before arriving at Cemil village, a typical small Cappadocian village. Following a brief stop, we continue to Mustafa pasha (Sinasos) for lunch. After which we visit the village, renowned for its excellent Ottoman and Greek architecture. Then we continue to the Pancarlik valley and enjoy a easygoing stroll before returning to your hotel.
Your journey starts by a visit to the Uchisar castle. Then we continue across the fertile plains of Cappadocia to the multilevel underground city of Derinkuyu. After lunch near the Canyon of Ihlara, we enter the sheer-sided canyon of Ihlara, in which there runs a stream, and on.both sides there are rock hewn churches. We enjoy a 4 km hike through the Ihlara valley to to arrive in the Belisirma village. Then we leave for Selime to visit this surreal ancient monastic site and several rock hewn churches. We continue along the Silk Road back to Cappadocian natural park, en route we stop at the well-preserved Agzikarahan Caravanserai, before returning to your hotel.
A full day tour of Cappadocia (the land of beautiful horses) view some of the fascinating frescoed and rock carved churches of the Göreme open-air museum, Visit the historic village of Cavusin, continue to Avanos for lunch, and visit the pottery artisans in the traditional rock carved village of Avanos. Stop at the majestic fairy-chimneys of Pasabag, take a gentle stroll among the naturally sculptured rock shapes of Devrent Valley. Continue to Urgup to sample some of the wine produced in the area. Enjoy a panoramic view over Göreme from the Red and Rose Valleys, before returning to your hotel.
Here's a map of the region called Cappadocia (Kapadokya) in Central Anatolia, including the towns of Aksaray, Avanos, Derinkuyu, Göreme, Güzelyurt (near Ihlara), Hacibektas, Kaymakli, Kayseri, Kirsehir, Nevsehir, Nigde and Ürgüp.
Turkish food is a little more than a greasy kebab after a night on the lash, and you can definitely find a large range to choose from here. Alongside the more traditional (and very well cooked) kebabs are some dishes with a bit more flavour and texture, and I would suggest eating one of these.
I had aubergine stuffed with charcoal-grilled lamb and green peppers which had been finished in a tomato sauce, and then the whole dish was topped with a Bachamel cheese sauce. This also had a large tomato and cucumber side salad and a rather modest portion of rice. For pudding I had kadayif - which has been my favourite pudding since I was a kid, since it’s essentially a shredded wheat with honey-pistachio goodness. This was good, although I’ve had better. The main dish managed to maintain my interest, and was something I would recommend.
I also seemed to have made the best selection. Most of the other people I was dining with made choices that, although they were very nice, were a bit bland (there is naturally only so much you can do if it’s just meat and rice).
I tried a homemade sausage from another dish, and although it was very tasty, there was nothing extra going on. The portions of rice were a little small too, and not all dishes had a side salad like mine. I also tasted somebody else’s baklava, which was a little bitter. The prices were reasonable though (except for the drinks, but that’s nothing new), and the Turkish coffee at the end of the meal was also very good. In the end I paid about £17 for two courses plus coffee and tip.
I didn’t think much of the service - a little too quick and they placed us on a bad table where it was hard to serve everybody and the dishes had to be passed back and forth, even though here was plenty of space in the restaurant and we could have sat somewhere else. Although I might eat there again, it would be only because I knew which dishes to choose and which to avoid
Reviewed byN. Luke Abraham
Anyone who knows me knows I'm an avid Star Wars fan from way back. So I just had to make another pilgrimage of my own to the Cappadocia region, where Star Wars was filmed.Getting here------------At this stage I was still travelling with Luke, the Aussie I met in Greece. We caught a night bus from Bursa to get to Cappadocia. Long distance bus rides in Turkey are a different experience altogether. They're clean and comfortable, and there is an attendant who serves coffee, biscuits and water during the trip. They also splash perfumed water on your hands, which after rubbing together evaporates to leave them clean and smelling nice. I love that stuff.Goreme------I had seen photos, but I was still blown away when we arrived at Goreme, a tiny town with a population of two thousand. This town and some of the other surrounding towns in the region have dwellings built right into rocks. The rocks are roughly conical in shape, rising into the air and topped by a mushroom cap formation, a natural phenomenon which was created by wind erosion aeons ago. The dwellings have holes cut into them for doors and windows, and the rock is soft enough for rooms to be dug into them. We even stayed at a pension in a cave room. It was just like the planet Tatooine!Thousands of years ago, these dwellings were used by primitive people. Around the 11th century, the Christians in the area escaped to these rocks to avoid persecution. Walking around the valleys in the surrounding region we climbed onto some smooth white coloured rocks to admire the view around us. We could see rock dwellings everywhere, most of them long abandoned.In the Zemi valley nearby there are some spectacular rock formations, white in colour and best described as looking like whipped mashed potatoes. Luke described them as resembling meringue, which is also accurate. In the distance there is a large flat cliff with multiple colours. Brown rock on top, pink layers in the middle, and the white mashed potato stuff on the bottom. It was exactly like a giant slab of Neapolitan ice cream; chocolate, strawberry and vanilla! It was all so surreal.The people of Goreme also exude that well known Turkish quality of friendliness and generosity. For example, we dined at the same cafe every morning and night, and they kept giving us a discount and refused to charge for the coffee. We got to know the staff quite well. Most of the locals can also speak English very well, and love it when tourists visit. Some of the locals still live a simple life. While most have cars and central heating in their homes, I did see some people still driving horse drawn wagons and gathering firewood.In search of Star Wars in Selime--------------------------------There are a number of travel agencies in Goreme offering tours around Cappadocia, but I always try to avoid tours whenever I can, especially when they charge a fortune for them. I had wanted to see Selime, where some of Star Wars was filmed, and walk the Ihlara valley. Instead of taking a tour we had to catch a bus to Nevsehir, another one to Aksaray, before catching another one to Selime.On the road to Aksaray the bus driver suddenly stopped in the middle of nowhere and motioned for us to get out. I thought we were being dumped in the middle of the road, but he had spotted the bus on the way to Selime travelling in the opposite direction and waved it down, allowing us to get on here instead of travelling all the way to Aksaray. He had done us a huge favour, but such is the helpfulness of the Turks.Selime is a very small village, complete with chickens running around and children playing outside stone houses. After walking down the road we saw some plains with some hills in the distance. A hill with pointy rock dwellings in front of it was one of the scenes out of Star Wars. When I saw them I sank to my knees and cried out in joy. I had found them! Then I got up when I noticed the farmers looking at me in a strange way.We also climbed up to the monastery, a large rock dwelling riddled with holes and a maze of cave rooms. This was also apparently used in the movie although it may have ended up on the cutting room floor, but I still imagined I was on the planet Tatooine.Trekking the Ihlara valley--------------------------When we came to the start of the Ihlara valley, we started walking along the Melendiz Suyu stream which flows right through it for 16 kilometres to Ihlara village. It was a fantastic way to spend a fine day, trekking through scrub and climbing over rocks. Along the way I saw and heard many interesting things: I marvelled at strange rock formations, poked among long abandoned cave dwellings, passed through fields of cattle tended by villagers (and avoiding cow pats), listened to the raucous mating calls of thousands of frogs in a pond, waved hello to villagers gathering firewood with their donkeys, and sat high on a rock face overlooking the valley and the river below.After an hour and a half we reached the halfway point, Belisirma village, where we had lunch before continuing on our way. By the end of the walk we were already very weary but very glad to have done the entire walk. Although we had to catch a taxi back to Aksaray (there were no more buses running late in the afternoon), it was well worth it and still cost us less than a tour. And I'm certain we got to see and experience much more than anyone who paid to be driven around on a tour bus. What am I trying to say? Take the road less travelled; it is often more rewarding.Uchisar-------The next day we took it easy and went to the neighbouring town of Uchisar. The main attraction here is the Uchisar Castle, a towering mound of rock with holes in it. We climbed up to the very top where we sat for a while to soak in the view. We could see Goreme nearby, occasionally in shadow as large clouds drifted by. The last few days had been hot and sunny out here in the desert, and I had already taken on a tan on my arms.After climbing down, we explored some of the rock dwellings again, and was surprised to discover that in this town some of the original primitive dwellings are still inhabited by people. We were invited into one to have a look around and found that other than the fact that it was built entirely into a mound of rock, the interior has all the mod cons one would expect from a normal home. Stoves, toilets, running water, electricity. It was however still heated by fireplaces, but that adds to the primitive charm of the place.To walk back to Goreme we went through the Pigeon valley, a shorter walk than yesterday but marvellous all the same. The tops of the cliffs seem to overhang the rock below them, forming a perfect canopy. Sort of like a roof awning. We also passed more mashed potato rocks, but these ones had a pink tinge and looked more like marshmallows.Back to Istanbul----------------I went back to Istanbul on the night bus while Luke stayed behind to continue southwards in Turkey. Prior to Turkey, my original plan was to spend only three days in Istanbul, but here I am almost two weeks later. I wish I could spend months travelling Turkey, but alas I have to continue my journey into Europe. Turkey is one of the most wonderful places to visit and I am sure I will be back to explore it more thoroughly in the future.
Allocate more than two or three days to experience this truly unique area.
Do include Konya in your Cappadocian itinerary. It was the once known as Iconium under the Romans and later became the capital of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum. The best examples of Seljuk architecture and calligraphy can be seen here.
The culture of rural Turkey is conservative so modesty and polite manners are always appreciated.
Be sure to keep yourself hydrated and to pace yourself in the summertime as the heat can be quite fierce.
Try to vary your activities. Unless you are a Byzantine specialist, visiting the 50th rock cut church on the same day becomes a blur.
It is worthwhile to explore the area around Guzelyurt. Particularly interesting is the nearby Kizil Kilise (Red Church), a 6th century cruciform church with a dome that sits on top of an unusual, octagonal structure. This graceful, little church was constructed from red trachyte, a type of volcanic rock.
Do visit the rock fortress of Ortahisar, the spectacular Devrent Valley, the lush Soganli Valley and other well known sites. These areas have not been mentioned only because substantial information is already provided in most guidebooks.
Purchase a good road map prior to leaving home. They are difficult to find in Turkey, especially outside the main cities.
Near Uchisar is a valley that has become quite popular with hikers. It is known by many names (Valley of the Pigeon Lofts, Dovecote Valley, Pigeon Valley) but they all refer to the thousands of pigeon houses that have been carved into the soft tufa since ancient times. Although they can be found throughout Cappadocia, they are especially plentiful in this valley which must have one of the greatest collections of pigeon lofts in the world. They were carved wherever space allowed including abandoned caves and the walls of collapsed churches. They lack the architectural interest of the doocots of Scotland or the elaborate Persian pigeon towers but their sheer numbers are astonishing. In Cappadocia, pigeons have long been a source of food and fertilizer. The advent of chemical fertilizers has reduced the use of pigeon fertilizer. However, some farmers still maintain their lofts because they insist that the reputation of Cappadocian fruits as the sweetest and most succulent in Turkey is entirely due to the pigeons' droppings
Many settlements in Cappadocia were established primarily as monastic communities. As Bishop of Caesarea Mazaca in the 4th century, St. Basil the Great wrote the rules for monastic life that are still followed by monks and nuns of the Greek Orthodox Church. He advocated community life, prayer and physical labor rather than the solitary asceticism that was popular at the time and it was under his guidance that the first churches were built in Goreme Valley. Here, a number of small communities with their own churches formed the large monastic complex that is now the Open Air Museum. Hundreds of churches are reported to have been built in this valley but no churches from St. Basil's time remain. In Goreme, the Tokali Kilise or the "Buckle Church" is easily the loveliest of the churches with graceful arches and beautiful frescoes.
The most impressive monastery in Cappadocia is the Eskigumus Monastery to the east of Nigde off the Kayseri-Nigde road. It is the most southerly of the Cappadocian monasteries and lies close to the route taken by the invading Arabs who traversed the Tarsus Mountains from the south to plunder Kayseri in the 7th century. This route follows the Tarsus River through a precipitous defile called the Gulek Bogazi. It was known in the ancient world as the Cicilian Gates and was used by Alexander the Great in his eastward campaign against the Persians. The nondescript entrance to the Eskigumus Monastery was designed to shield the monastery complex from invaders passing by. It was so successful that the monastery was not discovered until 1963, having escaped the vandalism to which many of the Cappadocian churches and monasteries were subjected. The large inner courtyard boasts high walls surrounded by monastic rooms and storage chambers. The main church is spacious and airy and its well-preserved frescoes are considered to be the best example of Byzantine art in all of Cappadocia.
Although referred to as "cities," the underground communities of Cappadocia probably served as temporary shelters rather than as permanent hidden cities. The incessant darkness is hardly conducive to life and some of the passageways are little more than crawling spaces that would have been intolerable in long-term situations. No one is certain as to the number of underground communities that exist or even by whom they were built.
The two largest communities that have been unearthed are located at Kaymakli and Derinkuyu, 20 and 30 kms. south of Nevsehir on the Nevsehir-Nigde road. It is thought that the Hittites may have excavated the first few levels in the rock when they came under attack from the Phrygians around 1200 BC. However, some archaeologists believe that the oldest caves, those hewn with stone rather than metal tools, are substantially older. These chambers were later expanded into an extensive troglodytic complex by Christians escaping the Arab invasions of the 7th and 8th centuries.
Discreet entrances give way to elaborate subterranean systems with air shafts, waste shafts, wells, chimneys and connecting passageways. The upper levels were used for living quarters while the lower levels were used for storage, wine making, flour grinding and worship in simple chapels. Everywhere, walls have been blackened from the use of torches. There is a connecting tunnel between Kaymakli and Derinkuyu that allowed three people to walk through at the same time but it is not available to the public as parts of the tunnel have collapsed.
0nly 10 kms. to the east of Kaymakli is another cavetown at Mazikoy that may be connected with Derinkuyu but this remains to be proven. This community was built within the walls of a cliff. Unlike Kaymakli and Derinkuyu, there are no stairs or grades that pass from one level to the next. Instead, the different levels are well defined with connecting tunnels through which people climbed up or let themselves down by means of footholds carved into the walls of the shafts. Mazikoy is often bypassed because it is a smaller community, its location is away from the main road and a certain agility is required to fully appreciate its features.
For millions of years, the mighty volcanoes of the Central Anatolian Plateau erupted and spewed their contents across the land that would become the cradle of civilization. Blessed with a moderate climate and fertile soil, one of the world's earliest known communities was founded 10,000 years ago at Catalhoyuk along the river banks of the Casambasuyu near Konya. Mankind's first nature painting was found here and it portrays the most recent eruption of Hasan Dagi almost 9000 years ago. Today, its snow capped peaks dominate the Konya plain, awash in golden hues where vast wheat fields blend subtly with the ochre colored soil and the monochromatic palette is interrupted only where rivers flow and tall poplars flaunt their greenery.
Another great volcano rises in the distance to the east of Hasan Dagi. Once called Mt. Argeus, the awesome presence of Erciyes Dagi inspired legends as the "Abode of the Gods" and the Persians built a Zoroastrian fire temple nearby. These two ancient volcanoes mark the western and eastern boundaries of a region known for its curious volcanic landscape that has been relentlessly carved by nature and by the people who have lived here. 'Fairy chimneys,' cones and strange rock formations have been sculpted by wind and rain while subterranean towns were excavated by a populace seeking shelter from the conquerors and would-be conquerors who crisscrossed the wide open steppes of the Central Anatolian Plateau. Ancient Anatolian tribes, Assyrians, Hittites, Phrygians, Turkic tribes from Central Asia, Mongols, Persians, Syrians, Arabs, Kurds, Armenians, Slavs, Greeks, Romans and Western Europeans have all passed through leaving behind some of their traditions as well as their genes and rendering Cappadocians as exotic as their surreal surroundings.
Although the Hellenistic kingdom of Cappadocia once encompassed a much greater area, the name now refers to the region east of Konya that is defined by Aksaray to the west, Kayseri to the east, Nigde to the south and Kirsehir to the north. Guide books and tour buses focus on the underground cities of Kaymakli and Derinkuyu as well as the rock formations and Byzantine churches found within the triangular area bounded by Avanos, Nevsehir and Urgup. For those who take the time to explore the less traveled byways, Cappadocia is a land of discovery. Away from Goreme, Zelve and the major tourist sites, there are partially excavated Hittite centers, cavetowns and hundreds of churches that are rarely seen, gorges to explore and some of the most vivid, pastoral scenes to be captured in all of Turkey.
Aksaray is located on the Melendiz Cayi (Melendiz River) along the old trade route that connected Persia to the Aegean Sea. It was once the city of Garsaura that was later renamed Archelais but little of its ancient past survives. During the Seljuk era (1071-1300), Aksaray was transformed into an exemplary Muslim city where a hospital and schools were built. One of the first two Islamic theological schools, the Ibrahim Kadiroglu Medrese was built here in the 12th century. The other was built in Konya, one of Turkey's oldest continuously inhabited cities and the capital of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum. These and later schools attracted some of the greatest Islamic scientists, philosophers and theologians of the age including Jelaluddin who escaped the Mongol invasion of Afghanistan. He is better known as Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi, a renowned mystical Master and favorite saint of Konya.
The reign of Sultan Alaeddin Keykubat I (1219 - 1236) brought prosperity to the empire when he renovated the long neglected road system and constructed a series of hans (inns) along the way. Generally, they are massive fortress-like structures with impressive entrances framed by intricately carved honeycomb portals. Inside, a large courtyard with a central mescid (small mosque) is surrounded by arched porches where animals were tended. Another portal leads to the living quarters for travelers. Hans were located about a days distance apart by camel and they provided travelers with food, lodging, entertainment and protection. Twenty four miles to the west of Aksaray, the Sultanhan Caravanserai was the last overnight stop before reaching Konya. It was built about 1229 and has been partially restored. The Agzikarahan Caravanserai nine miles to the east of Aksaray retains its original features and is one of the best preserved in the area. This somnolent farming town now serves as a base for exploring the Ihlara Valley or as a rest stop on the way to Cappadocia but during the 13th century, it was an enclave of culture, refinement and scholarship that attracted visitors from all over the known world including the great Spanish scholar and mystic, Ibn El-Arabi.
A few miles past Aksaray, a good road leads to the main Nevsehir-Nigde highway by way of the Ihlara Valley and Guzelyurt. Rick Steves highlighted Guzelyurt in his Turkey travel video for television and now, even 'the pension where Rick Steves stayed' is offered as a place of interest for tourists! Guzelyurt is one of the most tourist friendly communities in Cappadocia with a multi-lingual aide who seems to materialize out of nowhere and whose job it is to assist visitors with practicalities like parking, food and lodging. Villagers and children will stop to chat and give directions to the 'antique city' of the old Greek quarter where the mosque was once an old Byzantine church that honored St. Gregory Nazianzus. He was born and died nearby and is prominent as one of the 4th century Cappadocian Fathers who defended the Nicene Creed against Arianism which denied the Divinity of Jesus Christ.
Formerly known as Karballa then Gelvere, Guzelyurt means 'beautiful land.' It is built on the cliffs surrounding a narrow gorge that is but a small appendage of the more impressive Ihlara Gorge. There are over fifty rock cut churches inside Monastery Valley which lays beyond the old village, past semi-troglodytic houses that line a narrow, winding road. People still live in these old cave dwellings and visitors are apt to see women baking bread in 400 year old communal ovens or children making mud pies on the roofs of their cliff houses carved in the rocks below. Guzelyurt has been declared a conservation area requiring new buildings to be constructed of natural stone so as to maintain its distinct Cappadocian architecture. The boxy, stone buildings with flat roofs and large arched doorways are more similar to houses of Northern Syria and Upper Mesopotamia than to structures in other parts of Turkey. This is hardly surprising because the earliest mention of Cappadocians by Herodotus in the 5th century BC refers to them as 'Syrians.'
The Melendiz River finds its source in the numerous springs of the Melendiz Daglari and the adjacent Hasan Dagi to its west. These mountains comprise a series of currently inactive volcanoes that, over millions of years, deposited a thick layer (1500 feet) of volcanic lava, ash and mud. This material hardened to form a soft volcanic rock known as tufa which was overlaid with a thinner layer of hard basalt. With the passing of time, the Melendiz River has carved a steep sided gorge on its way toward the marshes of Toz Golu (Salt Lake) leaving behind expanses of flat, basalt topped plateaus that characterize this region. Further erosion of the basalt layer expresses itself in the surrealistic landscape of Cappadocia but in the Ihlara Valley (Peristrema), rock cones are only seen near Yaprakhisar and Selime.
Throughout the years, this verdant valley has remained relatively untouched by the tides of invaders that have swept the land. Sheltered by a natural barrier, the massive Hasan Dagi to the south, the valley is located away from the major travel routes that are still evidenced by the main roads from Aksaray to Kayseri and Kirsehir to Nigde. It has therefore served as a physical and an intellectual oasis for the people who have lived here. Hittites found refuge from the Phrygian invaders while early Christian monks sought its isolation in a remote corner of the kingdom during the 2nd century Roman persecutions and were later sheltered from the Arab invasions in the 7th and 8th centuries.
The valley became an important center of monasticism that lasted from the 4th to the 14th centuries. There are an estimated 150 churches and several monasteries in the canyon between the villages of Ihlara and Selime. A walk through the tranquil 14 km gorge is a delight. The dappled light under poplars and wild olive trees as well as the constant murmur of the water provide relief from an unrelenting sun and the monotony of endless wheat fields that make up the Cappadocian landscape. Near villages, the river continues to be the focus of village life: women wash their laundry amid chatter and laughter, children splash nearby and shepherds bring their animals for a drink.
The main churches are marked although a few have been closed to the public. The most popular churches are those in the canyon area between the villages of Belisirma and Ihlara. However, Yaprakhisar and Selime are more interesting architecturally with stone houses that extend into the rock caves. The village of Selime is named after the sultan whose conical tomb stands on the river's bank and numerous facades are carved into the cliffs at Yaprakhisar. For the adventurous, the entire length of the Ihlara Valley is a wonderful place for exploration. The children know the hidden entryways and they offer some of the most incredible 'tours' to be found in Cappadocia as they share their extraordinary playground, scampering up tracks through the rocks to a labyrinth of caves and tunnels that open to unexpected hideaways.
Only nine miles from Ihlara, the village of Helvadere sits among the foothills of Hasan Dagi. Its peaks are both over 10,000 feet high and its northern face is threaded with ribbons of snow where ravines have etched the mighty volcano. The mountain beckons for it abounds in secrets and legends. It has witnessed the comings and goings of Central Anatolia since the dawn of civilization. Roman ruins, Byzantine churches and Seljuk graves lay scattered along its northern slopes and mountain villagers tell tales of intriguing snake legends. In his book, Caves of God: Cappadocia and Its Churches, Spiro Kostof interprets the symbolism of the paintings in the Yilani Kilise (Snake Church) located across the bridge from the Tourist Pavilion in the Ihlara gorge. For one painting, he suggests that a woman is being punished for not nursing her children because 2 snakes are attached to her nipples. It seems likely that the real meaning may be hidden within the snake legends of these mountain people. While we long to uncover the secrets of Hasan Dagi, there is only enough time for a half an hour hike behind Helvadere to visit the ruins of Viransehir (Destroyed City). There was a large monastic complex here and remnants of a Byzantine fortress and two churches can be seen.
A drive through the region to the north of the Aksaray-Nevsehir road is to visit the true heart of Turkey. Numerous farming communities are located along the streams and rivers that empty into the stalwart Kizilirmak, Turkey's longest river that is over 800 miles in length. Farming in Turkey is generally highly mechanized, but here, reapers still wield the scythe and plants are sometimes hand-watered with scoops dipped into nearby irrigation canals. When the sun reaches its zenith, workers gather under shade trees for their midday meal and a well earned rest in a scene reminiscent of Bruegel's 16th century painting, "The Harvesters." This centuries old way of life continues, seemingly indifferent to the encroachment of mass tourism.
There are cavetowns and rock formations scattered within this area. Tatlarinkoy boasts an extensive semi-troglodytic complex but only a few caves are available to the public. The small Byzantine church has not been vandalized and its original colors remain rich and vibrant. A typical cave dwelling with several rooms can be explored and it is complete with 'telephone' (a special chute for talking to those on another level), toilet, kitchen, shelves and a large, solid, wheel-shaped rock that serves as a rolling door. Above the doorway is a compartment from which to attack an intruder who may have broken through the barrier. The main features of this cave dwelling are duplicated throughout Cappadocia. In Tatlarinkoy, cave entrances speckle the surrounding cliffs carved by the Acisu River. Some caves are used by farmers for food storage and animal shelters but many seem to have been completely abandoned.
Kayseri was already an ancient Hittite settlement called Mazaca when it was renamed Caesarea of Cappadocia by the Romans in the 1st century AD. Nearby, archaeological excavations at Kultepe have revealed that the area was first occupied around 4000 BC and known as Kanesh in ancient times. It was a powerful commercial trade and mining center around 2000 BC and 4000 year old Assyrian silver mines can still be seen there. Most of the artifacts from Kultepe are housed in the Archaeological Museum in Kayseri.
During Byzantine times, Caesarea Mazaca maintained its prominence as a city of commerce and trade as well as a major metallurgical center that specialized in the manufacture of heavy cavalry armor. Its schools were ranked with those of Athens, Alexandria and Constantinople. It must have been an affluent city because historical references have been made to its beautiful homes, elegant cuisine and the many almshouses that were built by St. Basil the Great, another Cappadocian Father and friend of St. Gregory Nazianzus. Much of its Byzantine years has been lost because the city was razed in the 11th century when it was captured by the Seljuk Turks and it lay abandoned for fifty years. Ruins of a 4th century monastery and Justinian's 6th century citadel that has been extensively renovated by the Seljuk and Ottoman Turks, still remain. Surprisingly, one of Caesarea Mazaca's culinary traditions has survived. They developed a type of cured beef called paston which was introduced to Hungary and Romania as pastirma by the conquering Turks. It was then adapted and carried to New York as pastrami by Jewish immigrants.
Under the Seljuks, Kayseri became prominent once again as the second most important city in the empire with many architecturally important structures. Theological schools, a medical school and hospitals were built here. As an important center of learning and commerce, Kayseri attracted an intellectual elite, merchants, tradesmen and skilled artisans. Today, Kayseri is a university town, a major agricultural center and enjoys a bustling trade in carpets and kilims.
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Country
Cappadocia is defined as the country between the Black Sea, the Upper Euphrates, the Taurus Mountains, and the river Halys. East of the Euphrates is Armenia; if a traveller crosses the Taurus through the Cilician Gate to the south, he reaches Cilicia; and to the west of the Halys is the country that was known as Phrygia and (later) Galatia. The rocky landscape that is called Cappadocia today, is only a part of the ancient country.
The plain north of the Taurus might be called Cappadocia Proper; it is essentially the land around Mazaka (near modern Kayseri). This country, originally called Tabal, is extremely green and fertile. Greater Cappadocia includes territories to the north, which are sometimes called Paphlagonia or Pontus, along the Middle Euphrates, which is called Melitene, and to the west, Lycaonia.
CountryEarly HistoryAchaemenid AgeHellenistic AgeRoman ProvinceLate Antiquity
King Warpalas of Tyana, relief in the Archaeological Museum of Istanbul. Photo Ab Langereis (©*)
Early History
In the Bronze Age, Cappadocia was the heartland of the empire of the Hittites. The people spoke Luwian. After the collapse of the Hittite world, the inhabitants of Tabal were divided into several small states (e.g. Tyana), loosely held together by the prince of Bit Burutaš, a fort near modern Kululu. Pottery finds prove that these little states had trade contacts with Phrygia, and it appears that the Assyrians watched this economic influence with some suspicion, but during the reign of Sargon II, the two nations concluded an alliance (710/709). Perhaps, the Royal Road between the two capitals, Nineveh and Gordium, dates back to this period.At the beginning of the seventh century, the Cimmerians invaded Urartu, Cappadocia, and Phrygia. The Phrygian king Midas, defeated in 696/695 by the invaders, committed suicide. While the Cimmerians settled on the plains of Cappadocia, Midas' kingdom was taken over by a dynasty that was based in Sardes, Lydia. Its king Gyges defeated the Cimmerians in c.665, but was killed in action in 644. However, later Lydian rulers (e.g., Alyattes) warded off the invasion, and started an offensive to the east, gradually approaching Cappadocia.A similar development started in the east, where the Median tribal federation became increasingly powerful. In 612, the Medes and Babylonians had sacked Nineveh and overthrown the Assyrian Empire; while the Babylonian king Nebukadnezzar was occupied in Syria, the Medes annexed Armenia and proceeded to Cappadocia. On 28 May 585, the armies of the Lydian king Alyattes and the Median leader Cyaxares met in battle, but after a solar eclipse, they decided to conclude a peace treaty. The Halys became the border between the two states; Cappadocia was to be subject to the Medians. Their rule was short-lived, though: in 550/549, they were conquered by the Persian king Cyrus the Great, who went on to invade Anatolia, and in c.547 he conquered Cappadocia and Lydia.**
A Cappadocian, shown on the Eastern Stairs of the Apadana in Persepolis.
Achaemenid AgeCappadocia is derived from Old-Persian Katpatuka, the name used by the Achaemenid administration to describe the satrapy beyond the Taurus and Euphrates. According to the Greek researcher Herodotus of Halicarnassus, the Cappadocians, together with the Hellespontines, Asian Thracians, Mariandynians, Paphlagonians, Phrygians, belonged to the third tax district and paid a yearly tribute that was worth about 360 talents. What they had to contribute exactly can perhaps be deduced from the relief on the Eastern Stairs of the Apadana at Persepolis, where the Cappadocian tribute bearer offers a bridled stallion, an overcoat, a coat, and trousers.The first satrap known by name is one Ariaramnes, who is mentioned by Ctesias of Cnidus (Persica, 20) as conducting an expedition to Scythia at the beginning of the reign of Darius I the Great (522-486). Ariaramnes' successors are not known for certain, although a prince named Gobryas commanded the Cappadocians in 480 when Darius' son Xerxes invaded Greece. He was the king's half-brother, which suggests that the Cappadocian unit was of some importance.We happen to have a description of Cappadocia in Xenophon's Anabasis, which is the history of the civil war between the Persian king Artaxerxes II Mnemon and his brother Cyrus the Younger in 401. From this, we can deduce that the southwestern part of Cappadocia now belonged to a satrapy called Greater Phrygia. We also learn the names of the tribes that lived along the shores of the Black Sea: Mossynoeci, Macrones, Tibarenes, and Paphlagonians. The description gives the impression that control by the central government was not very strong, and this is more or less confirmed by other information: we know that the Cappadocian town of Castabala was an almost independent temple state. On the other hand, in Mazaca was an Iranian fire shrine with Magians, which shows a very strong Persian presence.During the reign of Artaxerxes II, Cappadocia was divided into two halfs (Paphlagonia and Cappadocia Proper). The satrap of southern Cappadocia, a man named Datames (abridged from Datamithra) played an important role in suppressing a revolt and in a war against the Cadusians. Because of his valor, he was charged with the reconquest of rebellious Egypt, but when he discovered he had insufficient support at the great king's court, Datames decided to return to his satrapy. After the invasion of Egypt, led by Pharnabazus, had failed (373), Datames revolted. His coins show motifs that suggest that he courted native support. He defeated several opponents, cooperated with other rebels (Ariobarzanes in Hellespontine Phrygia; Maussolus in Caria, Orontes in Armenia, Autophradates in Lydia), but was assassinated before 362.The next satrap known by name is Mithrobouzanes, who was killed in action during the battle at the Granicus (334), in which the Macedonian king Alexander defeated the Persian troops of Asia Minor. Alexander appointed Sabictas as new satrap, but his grip appears to have been weak, because we find a Cappadocian unit (commanded by Ariarathes) fighting in the army of the Achaemenid king Darius III Codomannus during the battle of Gaugamela (331). During Alexander's reign, his officer Antigonus the One-Eyed fought several battles to keep the roads through Cappadocia open.
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Hellenistic AgeAfter the death of Alexander, on 11 June 323 in Babylon (text), his commanders elected Perdiccas as regent of the great conqueror's brother Philip Arridaeus and his still unborn son Alexander IV. A Greek officer named Eumenes was made satrap of Cappadocia (text). He had to fight against the Ariarathes who had fought for the last Persian king, Darius III Codomannus, at Gaugamela, and had continued to war against the local Macedonian commander Antigonus the One-Eyed. However, when Perdiccas invaded Cappadocia, Antigonus did not appear, which was one of the reasons why the successors of Alexander (the Diadochi) started to quarrel: the First Diadoch War. However, for the time being, Perdiccas was successful and Ariarathes was captured and killed.The main consequence of the First Diadoch War was the end of Perdiccas, his attempt to keep the empire unified, and the end of Eumenes' main supporter. At a conference in Triparadisus, a general named Antipater reorganized the the Macedonian Empire (text), and appointed Nicanor as satrap of Cappadocia. With Antigonus, he had to expel Eumenes. This was the beginning of the Second Diadoch War (318-315), which was won by Antigonus, and when Nicanor died during the Babylonian War, the old one-eyed general added Cappadocia to his territories. However, he was defeated decisively in the battle of Ipsus (301), and the southern fringe of Cappadocia was added to the realms of Seleucus I Nicator (the Seleucid Empire).A nephew of Ariarathes, Ariarathes II, seized the central and northern part of Cappadocia, and was accepted by Seleucus as a semi-dependent ruler. (Northern Cappadocia became the new kingdom Pontus.) When Seleucus had died and his succession was contested by Ptolemy II Philadelphus, Ariarathes II and Orontes III of Armenia defeated the Seleucid army (c.280 BCE), which meant the beginning of independence. The lawful king Antiochus I Soter acquiesced in this situation because he was involved in the First Syrian War against the Ptolemaic Empire.Ariarathes was succeeded by his son Ariaramnes, whose son Ariarathes III was the first to accept the royal title. Nearly all Cappadocian kings called themselves Ariarathes, just like Egyptian kings of that age all called themselves Ptolemy and all Parthian rulers were known as Arsaces. The third Ariarathes was able to normalize relations with the powerful Seleucid neighbors and married Stratonice III, the daughter of Antiochus II Theos. This diplomatic alliance was further strengthened when their son, Ariarathes IV Eusebes, married Antiochis, daughter of his Seleucid cousin Antiochus III the Great.However, the decline of Seleucid power forced the Cappadocian kings, who by now had come to claim descent from the Achaemenid prince Pharnaces, to look for other allies. During the Second Macedonian War (200-196), the Roman commander Titus Quinctius Flamininus had defeated the Macedonian king Philip V, and because the legions had been recalled, a power vacuum had been created. Antiochus III was more or less forced to intervene in the chaos Rome had created, which offered the Romans the opportunity to intervene again. In the Syrian War (192-188), the legions swept away the Seleucid armies (battle of Magnesia, 190). Immediately, Ariathes IV switched sides. His daughter Stratonice IV married king Eumenes II of Pergamon, a Roman ally. Rome accepted this diplomatic gambit and supported Cappadocia when war broke out with king Pharnaces I of Pontus (182-179). Some ten years later, Rome requested Cappadocian support in the Third Macedonian War.In 163, Ariarathes V Philopator succeeded his father. He intervened in a crisis in Sophene (along the Upper Tigris), where he put Mithrobuzanes on the throne, a puppet king. The Seleucid ruler Demetrius I Soter now proposed to renew marriage ties, which Ariarathes refused. Demetrius now supported an insurrection by Ariarathes' brother Orophernes. The Roman Senate ordered the two dynasts to split the kingdom, but in 158, Ariarathes V was restored by king Attalus II Philadelphus of Pergamon, second husband of Ariathes' sister Stratonice.In 152, Ariarathes saw an opportunity to avenge himself on Demetrius. He joined a Rome-supported anti-Seleucid coalition; the other members were Attalus II Philadelphus of Pergamon and Ptolemy VI Philometor of Egypt. Together, they put the Seleucid pretender Alexander I Balas on the throne.Some twenty years later, king Attalus III Philometor, the son of Stratonice, died, leaving the Pergamene kingdom to Rome. Because a native leader, Aristonicus, tried to regain independence, war broke out, and Ariarathes V supported Rome again. In return, it received Lycaonia. When he was killed in action in 131/130 and was succeeded by Ariarathes VI Epiphanes, independent Cappadocia was larger than it had ever been. The Roman alliance had been a wise policy.However, Rome was not yet able to protect its ally against the new regional power: Pontus, which had survived the war of 182-179 and was rapidly increasing its strength. Ariarathes VI tried to appease his northern neighbor and married Laodice, a sister of its young king Mithridates, who became the real power in Cappadocia, saw to the assassination of her husband, and in 103 allied herself to king Nicomedes III Euergetes of Bithynia against her son Ariarathes VII Philometor. Two years later, Mithridates of Pontus intervened, expelled his sister and Nicomedes, restored Ariarathes VII, but on second thoughts decided to put his own son on the throne, Ariathes Eusebes.This was only the beginning of a series of civil wars, in which the last member of the dynasty, Ariarathes VIII, was soon killed. The Cappadocian nobility elected a new king, Ariobarzanes I Philoromaeus, who was recognized by the Roman Senate, but found it difficult to rule. In 95/94, he was expelled from his land by king Tigranes the Great of Armenia, returned, and was expelled again in 90 and 89 by Mithridates of Pontus, but returned and expelled Ariarathes Eusebes in c.88. During the Third Mithradatic War (73-63), Ariobarzanes had to leave his country again, but the Roman general Pompey the Great, who utterly defeated Pontus, put the Cappadocian leader back on the throne, added Sophene and Gordyene (east of the Tigris) to his realm, and took away Lycaonia. Ariobarzanes abdicated in 62 and was succeeded by his son Ariobarzanes II Philopator, who was killed in 51 and succeeded by Ariobarzanes III Eusebes, who was immediately faced with the greatest challenged a loyal ally of Rome could have to face: civil war in Rome. Be choose to support Pompey, but the war was won by his enemy Julius Caesar (48, battle of Pharsalus). Ariobarzanes, however, managed to switch sides and when a son of Mithridates VI, Pharnaces, tried to restore the power of Pontus, Julius Caesar came to the help of Cappadocia and defeated the rebel at Zela (47: "I came, saw, conquered"). Even better, parts of western Armenia were added to Cappadocia.However, a new Roman civil war broke out after the assassination of Caesar in Rome. The assassins occupied the eastern provinces, and Gaius Cassius Longinus put an end to the rule of Ariobarzanes III, who was replaced by his brother Ariarathes IX Philadelphus. After the civil war had been won by the leaders of the Caesarian faction (Marc Antony and Octavian; battle of Pilippi, 42), the Romans decided to recognize the high priest of Comana as new king, Archelaus. Cappadocia was expanded even more when Octavian had become sole ruler (emperor Augustus), and added parts of Rough Cilicia. In 17 CE, the Roman emperor Tiberius added Cappadocia as province to the empire. Its first governor was Quintus Veranius, an adjutant of the Roman prince Germanicus.
CountryEarly HistoryAchaemenid AgeHellenistic AgeRoman ProvinceLate Antiquity
Ariarathes I
c.350 - 322
Ariarathes II
301- after c.280
Ariaramnes
c.275-c.255
Ariarathes III
c.255-220
Ariarathes IV Eusebes
220-c.163
Ariarathes V Philopator
c.163-131/130
Ariarathes VI Epiphanes
131/130- 116 or 111
Ariarathes VII Philometor
116 or 111-101
Ariathes Eusebes
101-c.88
Ariarathes VIII
c.96
Ariobarzanes I Philoromaeus
c.95-62
Ariobarzanes II Philopator
62-51
Ariobarzanes III Eusebes
c.51-42
Ariarathes IX Philadelphus
42-36
Archelaus
36 BCE - 17 CE
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Roman ProvinceThe Roman annexation of Cappadocia was only the last step of a process of self-romanization that had began when Ariarathes IV Eusebes had allied himself to the empire in 188 BCE. But although the country had had much time to get acquainted to its new overlords, it had a strong native character. An interesting example is the philosopher Apollonius of Tyana, who was very popular in the greater, Greek-speaking world, but wrote his treatise On Sacrifice in the Cappadocian language.The new capital was Caesarea (modern Kayseri), and the Romans saw to the rapid urbanization of the country. To judge by the rank of its equestrian governors (procurators) and the presence of auxiliary military units only, Cappadocia was not regarded as a very important province. Its eastern frontier, the river Euphrates, was part of the zone of influence of the governor of Syria, who used IIII Scythica and XII Fulminata, to defend this sector against possible invasions from the Parthian Empire. It was only during the civil war known as the Year of the Four Emperors (69) that Cappadocian received its first governor of senatorial rank, a man named Gnaeus Pompeius Collega. This was probably related to the merging of Cappadocia with Galatia and the annexation of Comagene, an old principality along the Euphrates and the new base of IIII Scythica. Several years later, XVI Flavia Firma was stationed at Satala; at some stage it was replaced by XV Apollinaris.The frontier was usually well-defended, but war was always possible in the ancient world. During the reign of Hadrian, governor Arrian of Nicomedia, better known as author of a book on Alexander the Great, fought against the tribe of the Alans, a war that he described in his Order of Battle. In 161, Marcus Sedatius Severianus was defeated (and VIIII Hispania was annihilated) by the Parthians, who tried to benefit from the death of the emperor Antoninus Pius and the accession of Marcus Aurelius. He sent his brother Lucius Verus to avenge this Roman defeat, and he was quite successful. In the third century, however, the Parthian Empire collapsed and was replaced by the Sasanian Empire, which had more efficient armies. In 256, they even attacked Satala, and in 260, the Cappadocian cities Caesarea, Tyana, Comana, Cybistra, and Sebastea were sacked. Several emperors were active in the east, and Rome ultimately restored its prestige during the reign of Diocletian (284-305).
CountryEarly HistoryAchaemenid AgeHellenistic AgeRoman ProvinceLate Antiquity
During the crisis of the second half of the third century, Christianity appears to have spread. During the council of Nicaea (in 325), at least ten bishops of Cappadocia were present. The circle of scholars around Saint Macrina, which included her brothers Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzus together with Gregory of Nyssa, is usually called the "Cappadocian fathers". They played an important role in the discussions on the Trinity.
Late AntiquityThe age of prosperity ended in the fifth century, when the great migrations started. In the end, Roman power in the west collapsed, but in the east, the Byzantine Empire continued to exist. Its emperor Justinian reorganized Cappadocia, and there are many buildings known from this age. The historian Procopius mentions that Caesarea was rebuilt and refers to similar projects elsewhere (Buildings).However, when at the end of the sixth century war with the Persians was resumed, after an essentially quiet period that had started in the 360's, Cappadocia became a war zone. The Sasanian king Khusrau II occupied parts of the province from 611 to 628, but was expelled by the emperor Heraclius. However, the the two empires were weakened, and the Sasanian world collapsed when the Islamic troops invaded Iran. The Byzantine Empire survived, but Cappadocia remained a border zone. It was in this age, the seventh and eighth centuries, that the Christian rock churches in Cappadocia were made - essentially hiding places.
