The weird-n-wonderful town of Cappadocia in Central Turkey is truly out of this world with its astonishing cave hotels, fairy chimneys and lunar landscape, discover’s Raul Dias
Are you one of those people who have always wanted to trudge along the crater-ridden surface of the moon? Well, I for one have constantly been on the quest for a piece of moon-walking action (and I don’t mean the Michael Jackson kind!). So, on my recent trip to Cappadocia, Turkey I did just that, vicariously feeling what Neil Armstrong might have felt like when he first made contact with terra luna!
The origins of this unusual region nestled in the heart of turkey, can be traced to the Tertiary period some 50 million years ago, when craters and chimneys dominated the landscape. Since then, huge quantities of volcanic material have spewed out of the many volcanoes. Forces of erosion have shaped the incredible and unique Cappadocian tuff-coned landscape. For hundreds of years men have dug into the soft but firm tuff to create dwellings, monasteries, churches and underground cities.
I was lucky enough to visit a few of Cappadocia’s jewels that shine their brightest under the warm August sun. There are many places to “must see” in Cappadocia like the Fairy Chimneys, Göreme Valley National Park and rock churches, underground cities of Kaymakli, Derinkuyu or Ozkonak, Zelve Valley and Pasabag, Avanos with its pottery and carpets, Uçhisar rock fortress, Ihlara valley, Soganli, Sinasos and Hacibektas. But one of the most interesting places is Ürgüp which incidentally was where I was staying.
Ürgüp has the distinction of being one of the first settlement areas of the Cappadocian region. In the Byzantine period it was known as Osiana, Hagios, Prokopios, in the period of Seljuks as Bashisar and in the period of Ottomans as Burgut Castle. Ürgüp was the patriarchate center of the Cappadocia region. The Üzümlü Church, Cambazli Church and Sarica Church in Ortahisar which was one of the villages of Ürgüp are the oldest rock churches from the region. Furthermore the Tavsanli Church and the Church of Saint Basileious truly are spectacular places.
In recent years, Ürgüp has become famous for its cave hotels, wines and hand made carpets. The old cave houses here have been restored as cave hotel without damaging their historic structure. I found myself staying in one such hotel that truly embodies the Cappadocian spirit abundantly. As a member of the prestigious family of ‘Small Elegant Hotels Of The World’, Selçuklu Evi is the pride and joy of Ürgüp. Much more than a hotel, Selçuklu Evi is a historic Seljuk house lovingly restored, arranged in an Oriental style combining authentic charm with great comfort. Neatly tucked away in a small lane and surrounded by gardens and local houses, this quaint little hotel offers panoramic views of rock hewn caves and the old village.
None of the rooms here have numbers and are individually named. My room, owing to the fact that it had an indoor mini hammam was called the ‘Hammamali Oda’ and was just perfect! Right from the wrought iron bed furnished with hand embroidered bedspreads and pillow cases, to the thick Turkish kilim carpet to the huge bathroom that is decorated like a hammam with a gorgeous mosaic flooring, everything in this room was fit for a sultan. And the food here was to die for. Waking up to the aroma of freshly made Turkish pancakes stuffed with goat’s cheese, potato and olives, served alongside tall glasses of a salted yoghurt drink called Ayran. Flattened lemon chicken with za’atar and cous cous with plenty of individual mezze dishes was the highlight at dinners eaten in the hotel’s courtyard, blanketed by the rich black velvety canopy of the night sky, embellished with a zillion twinkling stars. Ah bliss…
Cappadocia is that kind of mystical place, rich in history, yet firmly grounded in the present with a definitive futuristic twist. Past, present and future… all in one place, all at one time!
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