After our first day of checking this place out, we were very happy to know that we had a few days to explore this wild Cappadocian landscape. This is a place that one could definitely spend some serious time hiking around and snooping about in, but we were happy to even just get the taste that we had. During the rest of our days we had beautiful, warm sunshine mixed in with some gentle rain which had us appreciating all aspects of this place. For our final day in the Cappadocia region we had the owner of our inn/cave hotel take us on a tour throughout the local valley, and we realized (once again) that one could spend a lot more time here to take it all in. We landed up having a fabulous afternoon full of very varied experiences -- there was an endless "wow" factor for all that we saw.
There is sooo much amazing history in this part of the world. Of course the Middle East is the cradle of civilization, and so people have inhabited these areas since prehistory. Earliest historical evidence for this region goes back to about 1900 BC when early artifacts have shown this to be an area with a lot of human activity. Apparently it was in an important location with regards to key trade routes (including the Silk Road). Many of these amazing cave homes that were cut into the landscapes started when early Christians came to the areas to escape Roman persecution -- the caves provided good hiding places. These early Christian civilizations were able to flourish in these areas until much later when the Ottomans came through and spread the word of Islam. There are amazing old churches in the caves here, along with stunning art work from these early Christian times.
Another amazing thing we went to see were some of the underground cities from previous eras, carved deep into the ground under Cappadocia. These structures are considered a world heritage site and are called the 9th ancient wonder of the world. They were only discovered in 1962 and caught people by surprise by the sheer scale of these structures. It is quite mind boggling how deep they go down under the ground - some as much as eight stories deep, and they were set up to completely sustain as many as 10 000 people with water and food for long periods of time. Kai and Pippin were blown away! (Although Pippin did not like the dark confined spaces deep under the ground). Here is a description I found on the internet of these underground cities:
"In order to escape harsh winters, wild animals and attacks from enemies, the soft volcanic rock was carved out to form well-fortified cities deep with in the earth. Connected by labyrinths of tunnels, the living quarters, churches and common areas stretch downward for several floors. With ventilation shafts, chimneys and water sources, people could live indefinitely sealed off from the outside world. Excavations have uncovered extensive networks of kitchens, wine houses, food depots, water tanks, meeting areas, toilets and worship areas, all fashioned from rock. There are even niches carved for oil lamps so that the rooms and walkways could be evenly lit. As more space was needed, new rooms were dug out as required. Large round stones, similar to millstones, served as locks on the entrances to keep out intruders and could be operated from the inside only. Due to the texture of the rock, the rooms stayed a comfortable temperature year round, never too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter.
The exact time-frame of the underground cities is unknown; the first they were mentioned in text was in the writings of Heroditus in the fifth century B.C. Some experts feel that the cities were created by the Hittites for storage areas and then later on put into use by Christians fleeing persecution from the Romans. Other scholars suggest that the cities were created by the Phrygians as a means of defense against the Assyrians. The most common explanation is that the cities were dug out of the rock during the Roman or Byzantine periods. "
Pippin walking through one of the cramped corridors deep underground. Even I (Ronato) felt a little claustrophobic, given the narrow walkways and the lack of head room. When one just keeps going down and down into the earth through all those spaces, it is hard not to start feeling a little concerned that one will ever get out again.
We basically spent the day going to some of the more spectacular sites and exploring these crazy dwellings in this surreal landscape. All we can say is that it felt absolutely ancient!
This is the view from the highest point on top of what was once an old castle cut out of the rock.
The wild flowers were as tempting as the amazing vistas.
There is still a very rich tradition of pottery in this area and many people adorn their homes and gardens with these terracotta pots adding to the wonderful Middle Eastern flavour. We would have loved to be able to cart some home for our own yard.
Valentino himself strutting along the white sandstone landscapes of Cappadocia. The man has style!
On our return to Istanbul, after a rather grueling night bus (with little to no sleep) we got right back into "tourist" mode checking out the city. More time at the Grand Bazaar was a must and then off to see some more local landmarks. The Hagia Sophia (see below) is one of the most impressive buildings imaginable given that it was built in 537AD. It was amazing to be in and around such an old, old building. This amazing place spent its first 1000 years, during Roman rule, as a Christian church, and then after the Ottoman invasion, it became a mosque for the next 500 years. It was only in the late 1930's that it became secularized and was made into a museum of sorts. What a history!
There is sooo much amazing history in this part of the world. Of course the Middle East is the cradle of civilization, and so people have inhabited these areas since prehistory. Earliest historical evidence for this region goes back to about 1900 BC when early artifacts have shown this to be an area with a lot of human activity. Apparently it was in an important location with regards to key trade routes (including the Silk Road). Many of these amazing cave homes that were cut into the landscapes started when early Christians came to the areas to escape Roman persecution -- the caves provided good hiding places. These early Christian civilizations were able to flourish in these areas until much later when the Ottomans came through and spread the word of Islam. There are amazing old churches in the caves here, along with stunning art work from these early Christian times.
Another amazing thing we went to see were some of the underground cities from previous eras, carved deep into the ground under Cappadocia. These structures are considered a world heritage site and are called the 9th ancient wonder of the world. They were only discovered in 1962 and caught people by surprise by the sheer scale of these structures. It is quite mind boggling how deep they go down under the ground - some as much as eight stories deep, and they were set up to completely sustain as many as 10 000 people with water and food for long periods of time. Kai and Pippin were blown away! (Although Pippin did not like the dark confined spaces deep under the ground). Here is a description I found on the internet of these underground cities:"In order to escape harsh winters, wild animals and attacks from enemies, the soft volcanic rock was carved out to form well-fortified cities deep with in the earth. Connected by labyrinths of tunnels, the living quarters, churches and common areas stretch downward for several floors. With ventilation shafts, chimneys and water sources, people could live indefinitely sealed off from the outside world. Excavations have uncovered extensive networks of kitchens, wine houses, food depots, water tanks, meeting areas, toilets and worship areas, all fashioned from rock. There are even niches carved for oil lamps so that the rooms and walkways could be evenly lit. As more space was needed, new rooms were dug out as required. Large round stones, similar to millstones, served as locks on the entrances to keep out intruders and could be operated from the inside only. Due to the texture of the rock, the rooms stayed a comfortable temperature year round, never too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter.
The exact time-frame of the underground cities is unknown; the first they were mentioned in text was in the writings of Heroditus in the fifth century B.C. Some experts feel that the cities were created by the Hittites for storage areas and then later on put into use by Christians fleeing persecution from the Romans. Other scholars suggest that the cities were created by the Phrygians as a means of defense against the Assyrians. The most common explanation is that the cities were dug out of the rock during the Roman or Byzantine periods. "
Pippin walking through one of the cramped corridors deep underground. Even I (Ronato) felt a little claustrophobic, given the narrow walkways and the lack of head room. When one just keeps going down and down into the earth through all those spaces, it is hard not to start feeling a little concerned that one will ever get out again.
We basically spent the day going to some of the more spectacular sites and exploring these crazy dwellings in this surreal landscape. All we can say is that it felt absolutely ancient!
This is the view from the highest point on top of what was once an old castle cut out of the rock.
The wild flowers were as tempting as the amazing vistas.
There is still a very rich tradition of pottery in this area and many people adorn their homes and gardens with these terracotta pots adding to the wonderful Middle Eastern flavour. We would have loved to be able to cart some home for our own yard.
Valentino himself strutting along the white sandstone landscapes of Cappadocia. The man has style!
On our return to Istanbul, after a rather grueling night bus (with little to no sleep) we got right back into "tourist" mode checking out the city. More time at the Grand Bazaar was a must and then off to see some more local landmarks. The Hagia Sophia (see below) is one of the most impressive buildings imaginable given that it was built in 537AD. It was amazing to be in and around such an old, old building. This amazing place spent its first 1000 years, during Roman rule, as a Christian church, and then after the Ottoman invasion, it became a mosque for the next 500 years. It was only in the late 1930's that it became secularized and was made into a museum of sorts. What a history!
Inside, the Hagia Sophia has a massive central dome completely unsupported by columns which creates a vast and beautiful space. It is truly a stunning cathedral -- the ceilings and walls are covered with intricate mosaics and art work, while the floors are covered with huge, worn marble slabs. In the lower gallery the walls are also covered with huge, smooth, multicoloured marble slabs, giving it a very grand feeling. Then, there are other areas that were added during the Ottoman Empire -- a more eastern flavour -- this includes large rooms covered entirely with hand-painted tiles -- gorgeous. 
It was easy to imagine Roman sentries standing guard in the doorways, and pompous Roman ceremonies taking place.
One of the other amazing things here is that despite different 'occupations' of this building, aspects of both religions were kept intact. The amazingly detailed and intricate mosaics depicting various religious figures along with historical figures from Istanbul's/Constantinople's past were kept on the walls despite the fact that this building subsequently became a mosque. We actually weren't sure if these had been previously covered by plaster and then refurbished or whether they had just been there the whole time alongside the Islamic art. Either way, it was all very beautiful and awe-inspiring to look at.
After getting in as many last sights as we could, it was good to rest our feet and take a little breather on the rooftop patio of our hotel. There we caught our last rays of Turkish sunshine, enjoyed our last views of this amazing city, and, of course, enjoyed a nice cup of apple tea! This was definitely a fabulous little side-trip in this grand adventure that we are on. Again, our eyes were opened wide -- Turkey was yet another very different place.Now, it is off to Paris for a few days before heading to the South of France. While we are really looking forward to seeing our Parisian friends again for a few days, we are looking forward to some quieter times ahead. After being on the move for so long, we are all feeling ready to settle in one spot for awhile. We will be staying in Provence for about 3 weeks, and then after that we will settle again in another region called the Midi-Pyrenees for a whole month. We are looking forward to immersing ourselves in the communities and to practicing our French. Bread, cheese, and wine here we come!
Until next time . . .
Skye, Ronato, Kai & Pippin
More pictures of crazy buildings cut out of rock please. More more more. Can't get enough.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Aubrey