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CAPPADOCIA TOURS CAPPADOCIA MAP |
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CAPPADOCIA
INFORMATION & HISTORY
If you wish to
discover Turkey in depth, travel to Cappadocia is certainly a
must. We suggest
staying
at least three nights there. The best times are March to June
and September to November. There are a variety of activities you
may join: Unique place for Hot Air Ballooning in Turkey is
Cappadocia. For adventure, Horse Riding, Mountain Bike or Jeep
safari, Cappadocia is selected as one of the best areas in
Europe. In the evenings, you may either just enjoy your stay at
your hotel or go in Sarihan Caravanserai near Avanos to see the
whirling Dervishes of Mevlana, founder of Sufism in Anatolia (Turkey).If
you are interested in any of the activities listed above, we may
include that in one of the following suggested day trips. We
highly recommend extending your stay in Cappadocia as we believe
you will enjoy every minute of your time in such a unique area
with its welcoming people. Cappadocia, which used to be known as
Katpatuka (Land of Beautiful Horses) in old Persian, is a region
in central Anatolia, 300 kilometers southeast of Ankara, the
capital city of modern-day Turkey. Cappadocia is known for its
unusual landscape, the result of the violent eruption of
volcanoes, Mount Erciyes (3,917 meters) and Mount Hasan (3,268
meters), some 3 million years ago. Lava and volcanic dust and
ashes covered the region, which eventually hardened into a thick
layer of tuff. Over the years, water and wind eroded the soft
and brittle volcanic surface, creating deep valleys and many
different types of strange rock formations, such as rock cones
and fairy chimneys. Archaeological evidence shows that
Cappadocia was inhabited as early as the Paleolithic period (c.
2.5 million BCE –10,000 BCE), and continued to serve as home to
the peoples of many different civilizations, including the
Hittites, Greeks, and the Romans. Dwellings were dug into the
rocks and provided shelter from the environment, defense against
foreign invasions, and refuge from religious persecution. These
dwellings interconnect, forming some two hundred to three
hundred underground cities, equipped with elaborate air
ventilation systems, water storage units, and in some cases,
even stables and wineries. One of the most famous and well
excavated is Kaymakli, where Christians hid from the pagan Roman
invaders during the seventh century. Parts of the underground
cities are still used by Cappadocia's present-day inhabitants.
For example, underground canals are used to regulate water in
the nearby farmland, and local produce, such as potatoes and
citrus fruits, is stored in subterranean storage units. People
still live in above-ground rock structures, some of which are
even used as hotels and inns. Cappadocia is a popular tourist
destination.