Travel Guide

You know what? If ever there was an amazing place in our world, this is it. No, truly – amazing. It’s one of those places that are so absolutely strange that you become quite frantic trying to take everything in. If you are visiting Turkey, please do try to go there.

So, what is Cappadocia? It’s a region of weirdly shaped landforms, ancient underground cities, some of the earliest churches in Christendom, Byzantine and Roman remains and much - oh so much - more. It lies between the towns of Nevsehir, Urgup and Avanos in the heart of Turkey.

Although it's not enormous, you’ll need (and want) a reasonable amount of time here; days, not hours. You can use a local minibus (dolmus) to get around, but this does call for patience, as the service isn’t fantastic. Otherwise you can take some guided tours, and this is always a good way to learn about the things you see.

Cappadocia is a long way from Istanbul (a 12-hour bus trip), so you might want to fly. The handiest airport is Kayseri, but this is a biggish city and frankly, it's nicer to stay in one of the smaller centres. Check out Goreme, Urgup (not very pretty, but quite good amenities), Uchisar (peaceful) or Avanos (famous for its pottery since time immemorial; be sure to buy some if you're there). Hotels in these places are sometimes listed under nearby Nevsehir, which is a bit busier, but an okay place to spend the night.

Trying to describe Cappadocia in detail is very hard indeed, so I’m going to pick out SOME of the sights and let the pictures do the rest.

Goreme: underground and cave dwellings dating back to around 300AD; famous fairy chimneys formed by wind and erosion, and put to various uses in ancient days. Explore the Open Air Museum (caves, fairy chimneys, Early Christian cave churches with painted frescoes). There are plenty of hotels in this area.

Kaymakli: underground city; a bolt-hole for early Christians in hiding from the Romans; about 20 kilometres from Goreme. One of the two most visited underground cities in Cappadocia, and the biggest. A must.

Derinkuyu: eight storeys of ancient, subterranean living; the deepest of the underground cities. Another must.

Zelve: Similar to the Goreme area, and some people prefer it, but it’s smaller so there's not quite as much to see. 5km from Avanos. Three valleys; amazing rock dwellings, ancient churches. Very scenic.

Ihlara Valley: some of Christianity’s earliest churches, underground dwellings; fairy chimneys; a great place for a hike.

Pasabagi or Monks’ Valley: the famous valley of the hermit monks; incredible fairy chimneys, ancient chapels and living areas.  Unique; try to make time for it.

Gulsehir: where the region’s first settlements grew up (approximately 1800BC), ancient sights (and sites) including Roman tombs in the rocks, the Church of St John (or St Jean).

Mazi: underground village; ancient Roman tombs and rock cuttings, ancient stables, caves, churches. Roman and Byzantium ruins. Not as busy as Kaymakli and Derinkuky. Take a torch.

Finally, if you're wondering, the photos were all taken in the Goreme area, exept the one of the Avanos pottery. I wish I'd had room for more. You might like to do some web-searching of your own, and view some of Cappadocia's other sights online, if not in the flesh.