Cappadociya Blog

Cappadocia’s position on the eastern side of the Byzantine Empire left it open to attack. Raids by tribal groups in the 5th century spurred the construction of heavier fortifications in the area. In 611 an incursion by the Sāsānian army ravaged the Cappadocian capital, Caesarea (modern Kayseri). Arab raids into Cappadocia commenced in the 7th century and continued into the 10th. During these periods of instability Cappadocia’s large complexes of man-made caves and tunnels may have been built or expanded from existing structures for use as refuges. However, establishing precise dates for their construction has proven difficult.

Cappadocia enjoyed a period of prosperity in the 10th and 11th centuries that led to a surge in the construction of rock-cut churches and monasteries. Many of the surviving churches from this period are richly decorated. The Byzantine Empire lost Cappadocia permanently when it came under the control of the Seljuq Turks about the time that they defeated the Byzantine army at the Battle of Manzikert in 1071.

Alexander the Great bypassed Cappadocia but sent troops under his general Perdiccas (322 BCE). After a power struggle following Alexander’s death, Cappadocia fell into the dynastic orbit of the Seleucids, although a local aristocracy descended from the Persian satraps continued to rule and Persian religious practices persisted. Cappadocia transferred its allegiance to Rome after the Roman victory at Magnesia (190 BCE) and remained faithful despite the Pontic and Armenian attacks of the 1st century BCE. Cappadocia was retained as a Roman client state until Emperor Tiberius annexed it in 17 CE for its command over strategic passes in the Ta**us Mountains.

Whereas Cappadocia is famous today for its otherworldly topography and a strong connection to the past, the region was known for something else altogether in ancient times; horses. Even the name itself, Cappadocia, is derived from the Persian word “Katpatuka”, meaning the land of beautiful horses. Ancient sources mention gifts or tributes of horses from the region presented to ancient Assyrian and Persian kings.

When Cappadocia was under Persian governance, horses were part of the taxes paid. The locals today still value horses, which sometimes offer visitors an alternative mode of transport.

Unique Geological Formations at Red Valley in Cappadocia
2. Rock Formations and the Landscape
The Cappadocian region was formed during the tertiary period around 60 million years ago after a sequence of volcanic eruptions hit Central Anatolia. The eruptions formed what is known today as the fairy chimneys and many others. The famous stunning landscape of Cappadocia was formed by volcanic erosion.

Volcanic eruptions that formed Cappadocia rained ash across the region. With time, the ash hardened into the tuff, which was covered by basalt. Tuff, soft and porous, wore down as the millennia passed, forming pillars up to 130 feet high. Basalt is harder and erodes slowly; therefore, it created a mushroom-shaped cap over each pillar. The results of this million years process are the iconic fairy chimneys of Cappadocia.

6. There are as many as 600 churches carved from the soft Cappadocian rock and possibly many more that have not yet been discovered. These churches date back to Medieval times and display beautifully painted frescoes, which have retained an amazing amount of colour and detail over the centuries. Some painted figures have had their eyes scratched out by superstitious locals afraid of the Evil Eye.

7. The village of Göreme serves as the region’s main tourist centre and is also one of the few Cappadocian settlements still inhabited today. Christians gave the town of Göreme its name meaning ‘you cannot see here’, as they hid in the area during the Arab invasion.

8. The Göreme Open-Air Museum encompasses the best-known religious complexes in the area. Alongside the other rock sites of Cappadocia, it was enlisted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.

9. Music concerts are often held in the surrounding cave buildings of Cappadocia, including the week-long Cappadocia Music Festival which showcases choirs and orchestras.

10. The region of Cappadocia is a large grape producer and it’s believed that wine-making has a long history here. There are a number of wine-tasting shops where visitors can sample the goods and in recent years wines from the region have won international awards.

1. Three to four million years ago a series of volcanic eruptions shook the Central Anatolian area, forming what we now know as the Cappadocia fairies or ‘Cotton Castles’.

2. Cappadocia’s landscape was formed by volcanic erosion. Thick ash solidified into soft rock, called tuff, and over time the tuff rocks eroded with wind and water, creating the iconic fairy chimneys we see today.

3. Cappadocia spans a distance of 5,000 kilometres and sits on an altitude of over 1,000 metres, cutting through three Anatolian provinces – Nevsehir, Keyseri, and Nigde.

4. The name Cappadocia derives from the Persian word Katpaktukya, which means ‘the land of beautiful horses’ for in ancient times the region was known for its equine offering. Horses are still important to the locals who call Cappadocia home and they also offer an alternative mode of transport for visitors.

5. There are a number of underground cities in Cappadocia, some connected by a network of tunnels. These subterranean settlements were made possible thanks to the pliability of the soft rock. Many are open to visitors, however, a lot of the land in the area is private property.

Famous for its unique rock formations and amazing hot air ballooning opportunities, the otherworldly landscapes of Cappadocia are one of Turkey’s most popular natural wonders.