Cappadocias

Cappadocia is a historical region in central Anatolia, largely in present-day Turkey. It spans parts of Nevşehir, Kayseri, Aksaray and Niğde provinces and is renowned for its otherworldly landscape formed by soft volcanic tuff eroded into cones and pillars, a phenomenon popularly called fairy chimneys. Much of the region’s surface consists of cave dwellings, churches and entire subterranean settlements carved into the rock over centuries.

Human presence in Cappadocia dates to ancient times. The area was inhabited by Hittites and later saw successive rulers of Phrygian, Persian, Greek and Roman control. In early Christian centuries, communities carved churches and monasteries into rock faces, and large underground cities such as Derinkuyu and Kaymakli were developed to provide refuge from invasion. During the Byzantine and Seljuk periods, rock-cut architecture continued to be used, and over time these settlements evolved into homes, farms and wineries.

Today Cappadocia is a major tourist destination. Visitors come for hot-air balloon flights at sunrise, for the open-air museums and cave churches in Göreme, for the rock-cut architecture at Pasabag (Monks Valley) and Zelve, and for the underground city complexes around Derinkuyu and Kaymakli. The region also includes the Ihlara Valley and the pottery town of Avanos.

Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. The local economy relies on tourism, agriculture and crafts, with ongoing preservation efforts to protect the region’s unique geological and cultural heritage.