Cappadocia offers a unique and out of this world type of landscape. It’s like you’re on another planet and for this, Cappadocia is one of Turkey’s most popular natural marvels. Hundreds of cone-shaped volcanic rock formations, known as “fairy chimneys” rise from the plateau of Central Anatolia and are the perfect backdrop and view, especially when seen from a hot air balloon.
Intrigued? Here are 9 epic truths about Cappadocia.
1. Cappadocia was created around 3 or 4 million years ago, due to a series of volcanic eruptions.
2. The volcanic eruptions that encased this region with thick ash, solidified into a rock termed tuff. Over a long stretch, wind and water eroded these tuff rocks, turning them into cone-shaped formations known as fairy chimneys.
4. The name ‘Cappadocia’ comes from the Persian word ‘Katpaktukya’ which can be translated to ‘the land of beautiful horses’. To this day, horses are still vital to the locals as they offer a substitute method of transport for tourists.
5. The early people had homes above ground however each house was connected to the underground city via a tunnel. If attackers came, the locals would go through the tunnels to hide in the underground city.
6. The underground cities had everything you needed to live. This included toilets, rooms to store food and drinks, an area to keep animals and pipes for fresh air.
7. There are at least 600 churches that have been carved from the soft tuff rock and date back to Medieval times.
8. The Rock Sites of Cappadocia and Mount Aktepe near Göreme are listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites.
9. Since Cappadocia has a dry and baked landscape, farmers used to use pigeon poo to fertilise their land.